The phone call that informed the 31-year-old RG Kar doctor's family in Kolkata about her death is one of the many points of discrepancy in the rape-murder case that has thrown the medical community in turmoil. Today, the Kolkata Police, who were initially thought to have made the call, denied they had anything to do with it.
The caller had informed the family that daughter had died by suicide -- raising suspicion that it was an attempt to cover up the horrific rape-murder.
This speculation rampant on social media -- had even surfaced in a social media post by Congress's Rahul Gandhi. "The attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration," read the post by Mr Gandhi, who strongly condemned the crime.
In the evening, the Kolkata Police posted on X:
The phone call was part of the several points why there was speculation about a cover-up and the police investigation was thought to lack credibility -- a matter underscored by the High Court when it ordered the transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The other factors are "where investigation by the State police lacks credibility and it is necessary for having a fair, honest and complete investigation and particularly, when it is imperative to retain public confidence in the impartial working of the State agencies," the court had said.
Yesterday, while seeking a CBI investigation, the woman's parents had told the court that on Friday morning, the Assistant Superintendent of the hospital had called them to say that their daughter was unwell. Around 20 minutes later, he called again to say that their daughter had committed suicide on hospital premises.
They told the court that they were made to wait for three hours at the hospital before they were allowed to see the body, raising suspicion that the delay was intentional.
"The victim's parents said that they were allowed to see the body only after the Chief Minister intervened. By this time, a large-scale agitation had started on the campus of the hospital," the court said in its order.
The 41-year-old postgraduate doctor had fallen asleep in a seminar room on Thursday night. Early on Friday morning, her partially clothed body, bearing multiple injuries, was found.
The prime suspect is Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police who was stationed at the police outpost at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and had access to all departments.
The case is now being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over yesterday after the High Court order.
