New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the crime scene in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was altered. The agency also revealed that the West Bengal Police initially told the victim’s parents it was a suicide before later classifying it as a murder.
The Supreme Court is hearing a suo motu case related to the incident, with a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the CBI, which entered the investigation on the fifth day, was unaware of a medical report pertaining to the accused’s injuries.
Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, countered Mehta’s claim, stating that everything related to the case was videographed and not altered. Mehta responded that the FIR was registered at 11:45 AM after the victim’s cremation, and the videography was done at the insistence of senior doctors and colleagues, suggesting they suspected foul play.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday had constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to develop a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of healthcare professionals. The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor have sparked nationwide protests, with the Calcutta High Court ordering the transfer of the probe to the CBI on August 13.
The CBI’s allegations of crime scene tampering and the West Bengal Police’s initial misclassification of the incident as a suicide have further fueled public outrage and raised questions about the handling of the case by the state authorities.
