Kolkata:

The 31-year-old doctor raped and murdered at a government hospital in Kolkata had a significant amount of semen in her body, suggesting gangrape, her parents told the Calcutta High Court that transferred to the CBI the investigation into the case that has shaken the nation.

They said in their petition that the postmortem report had unequivocally stated that the cause of death was strangulation of the neck and that there are clear signs of sexual assault.

“Petitioners state that the post-mortem report provided devastating details that confirmed their worst fears. Their daughter’s body bore several injury marks, indicating a brutal and violent attack,” said the petition, accessed by NDTV.

Several portions of the victim’s head showed signs of trauma. “Both ears exhibited signs of injury, suggesting a violent struggle. Her lips were injured, indicating that she may have been silenced or gagged during the attack,” the petition added.

It also said bite marks were found on her neck, underlining the severity of the assault.

The petition said that the autopsy found 150 mg of semen in the victim’s body, “a quantity suggesting involvement of more than one individual, further corroborated the suspicion of gang rape”.

Before the case was transferred to CBI, state police had arrested Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer who frequented the hospital.

“No step taken to arrest any other offenders while the evidence clearly indicates that their daughter was the victim of a gang rape and murder, a crime that could not have been committed by one person alone,” the parents’ petition said.

The parents also underlined that the then principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and other stakeholders who were responsible for the victim’s safety on the premises are yet to be apprehended.

In its order to transfer the probe to CBI, the high court came down heavily on the hospital administration and especially its former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh. The court questioned why the hospital authorities did not file a police complaint after the doctor was found dead. It also pulled up the state government for appointing Dr Ghosh as principal of another medical college hours after he resigned as the head of RG Kar Medical College.

In their petition, the victim’s parents have also said “they have come to learn through reliable sources that evidence exists on record suggesting that at least three individuals were involved in the strangulation of their daughter”. “The significant amount of semen found in her body further supports the involvement of multiple perpetrators,” they told the court.

The autopsy, they alleged, was conducted hastily. “Improper autopsy was done with a view to shield the others involved in their daughter’s death,” they said in the petition.

What State Has Said

The state government’s counsel told the high court yesterday that the victim’s inquest was conducted in the presence of a Judicial

Magistrate and two lady doctors. The inquest report was also signed by the victim’s mother, the state counsel said. State police have maintained that they had shared the post-mortem report with the victim’s family.

The postmortem, too, was conducted in the presence of a Judicial Magistrate and the entire process was videographed to ensure there are no allegations of foul play, police officers said. A copy of the postmortem report was also shared with the family members to ensure their concerns were addressed, they said.

CBI Takes Over

Following the Calcutta High Court order yesterday, officials of the CBI have taken over the case and Sanjoy Roy, the accused, is now in the central agency’s custody. The CBI team, which also comprises medical and forensic experts, have been split into three groups. One will visit the seminar hall where the doctor’s body was found, the other will take the accused to court and seek custody and a third will coordinate with Kolkata Police officers who were probing the case.

New Delhi:

The rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College has shaken the nation, and the Bengal government and police are under immense pressure to solve the case at its earliest. City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said that the investigation is still underway, and questions about whether more people were involved in the heinous crime can be only after the probe is completed.

Mr Goyal said that one accused, Sanjoy Roy, has been arrested and they are looking at other people who have any connection to the incident. “Everyone has been called and those who haven’t will be. We have also started a helpline number, doctors can give us information anonymously if they suspect anyone. We are also in touch with the family. We will share the progress of information,” he said.

“We are sure that if more people are involved, we will be able to arrest them in the next four to five days. Despite that, if the family is not satisfied, what Madam said will happen,” the Kolkata cop added.

The body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital on Thursday night. The initial autopsy report stated that the victim was bleeding from her eyes, mouth, and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger, and lips.

Sanjoy Roy, the main accused in the case, was not a hospital employee but was frequently seen in buildings on the campus. Roy worked as a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police. Civic volunteers are contractual staff recruited to assist cops in various kinds of work, including traffic management and disaster response. Paid around Rs 12,000 a month, these volunteers do not enjoy the facilities available to regular police personnel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also assured that the Kolkata Police will complete the investigation by next Sunday. She said that if they are unable to do so, the probe will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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