The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted raids at the residence of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

A 31-year-old trainee doctor was found brutally raped and murdered at the Kolkata college last month, sparking nationwide outrage over the safety of doctors and women in the country.

The probe agency has conducted raids at 5-6 locations connected to Ghosh and his associates. The house of Prasun Chatterjee, the hospital’s data entry operator, was also searched by the ED. 

Ghosh was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday in connection with alleged irregularities at the hospital during his tenure. The West Bengal government suspended him as he was placed in police custody for eight days.

The former Principal has undergone two rounds of polygraph tests in connection with the rape-murder case after he was accused of negligence in the matter, including failing to file a police complaint when the woman’s body was found.

While he does not face charges in connection with the killing of the doctor, he does face non-bailable corruption charges.

The Indian Medical Association has also suspended his membership.

Dr Ghosh has also come under fire from the Supreme Court which questioned his role in the horrific crime, underlining, that the delay in filing a police case was unacceptable.

“Why was FIR lodged almost 14 hours after discovery of the body… the Principal of the college should have come straightaway and directed filing of the FIR. Who was he in touch with?” the court had asked.

So far, one arrest has been made in connection with the rape and murder of the doctor – a police volunteer called Sanjoy Roy.

The ruling Trinamool and the opposition BJP have hit out at each other over alleged inaction in the case.

On Thursday, the parents of the victim alleged that the police initially tried to suppress the case and close it without a thorough investigation.

“The police, from the very beginning, tried to hush up the case. We were not allowed to see the body and had to wait at the police station while the body was taken for post-mortem examinations,” the father said while addressing the protesters.

New Delhi:

Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has been in the eye of a massive storm since a trainee doctor’s body was found in the premises of the institution that he headed. Spelling more troubles for him, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – which is probing the case – has filed a case of financial irregularities at the medical college during the tenure of Mr Ghosh.

The CBI took over the probe from a state-constituted Special Investigation (SIT) after directions by the Calcutta High Court. The order was issued on a petition by former deputy superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Akhtar Ali, who requested a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged financial misconduct at the institution.

Mr Ghosh resigned as the principal of the RG Kar Medical College just two days after the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor’s body was found inside a seminar hall on August 9. However, he was immediately appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, a West Bengal government decision that was met with protests by students and tough questions by the Calcutta High Court.

The court ordered him to go on “long leave”, questioning his reappointment within 12 hours. “How did he step down and then be rewarded with another responsibility?”

On August 20, the Kolkata Police registered a corruption case against Mr Ghosh after the West Bengal government by Mamata Banerjee formed an SIT to probe the allegations of financial misconduct at the state-run hospital since 2021.

The SIT handed over all the necessary documents to the CBI today which re-registered the First Information Report.

Mr Ghosh had been questioned for nearly 88 hours by the CBI which will conduct a polygraph test on him today. The Calcutta High Court on Friday gave its go-ahead to the CBI for the polygraph test On Mr Ghosh and five others including the main accused, Sanjay Roy.

The CBI has been given a deadline of three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation, which is to be presented on September 17.

The doctor’s rape and murder during her 36-hour duty has reignited concerns over the safety of women at their workplaces with junior doctors taking to the streets, demanding stricter laws against violence against doctors.

New Delhi:

With anger rising over the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the report of the DNA samples collected from the victim’s body and the accused will likely become the most important piece of evidence in the case, sources said.

Several theories have emerged online that attempt to explain the brutality inflicted on the doctor. One of those theories claimed that there was more than one accused in the crime. 

So far, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital who assisted cops in traffic management, is the sole accused in the case. Roy was arrested after a CCTV camera in the hospital captured him entering the emergency building around 4 am on Friday, the same location where the doctor’s body was found in the hours later. Another big clue was a Bluetooth headset, that connected to his phone, found next to the victim’s body. 

However, sources say once the results of the DNA report are in, it will be clear whether one or multiple people were involved in the crime. If the sample does not show traces of other DNA apart from the Roy, investigators can rule out the involvement of multiple attackers in the case with some certainty.

While sources claim the DNA report should be enough to solve this case, the results of Sanjoy Roy’s psychological exam and polygraphy test will also play an important role even though they are not admissible in court. 

According to sources, the samples are currently being processed in the CBI’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) lab. A report will be available soon. 

After the autopsy of the trainee doctor was conducted, social media was flooded with posts claiming severe injuries to his body like fractured bones and 150 mg of semen which was allegedly found in her body, suggesting gangrape.

The Kolkata Police have denied these claims. “Someone said 150 gm semen is found. I don’t know where they have found this kind of Information. And it is circulating in media in all kinds of forms. People are tempted to believe it and they are trying to create confusion among the people.” Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal had said.

Bengaluru:

Saving lives was the childhood dream for 28-year-old doctor Radhika, but after the brutal rape and murder of a colleague her own safety has increasingly become a top concern. Earlier this month, at the government-run hospital where Radhika works in Kolkata, the battered and bloodied body of a 31-year-old woman doctor was found, sparking outrage.

One man has been detained, but the attack has focused anger on the lack of measures for female doctors to work without fear, and triggered protests and medical strikes.

“I was on night duty just two days before this incident,” Radhika said at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

“What she did is what any of us do — resting whenever, wherever we can”.

The murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital’s seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a break during a long shift.

Radhika, whose name has been changed for fear of repercussions at her work, said conditions such as long working hours — with barely any time to eat or rest — were not unusual.

“This could have been any of us, and this still can be any of us,” she added.

Attacks all too common

Tens of thousands of citizens have joined protests, channelling anger not only at the chronic issue of violence against women, but also at the failure to provide secure working conditions for them.

According to the philanthropic organisation Dasra, women make up nearly 30 percent of doctors in India and 80 percent of nursing staff.

Attacks on female medics are all too common.

Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a national task force to examine how to bolster security for healthcare workers, saying the brutality of the killing had “shocked the conscience of the nation”.

“The lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments, against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals, is a matter of serious concern,” the court order read.

It highlighted a lack of CCTV cameras and a failure to screen visitors to hospitals for weapons.

Medical superintendent Indira Kabade, who works at KC General Hospital in the southern city of Bengaluru, said she worries her staff can get home safely.

“We never know if anyone is following them from the hospital,” said Kabade, adding she and many female colleagues want “airport-like security”, including police posted inside the campus.

“Despite us working non-stop to save lives, there is a need to rethink safety at workplace,” Kabade said.

The gruesome nature of the doctor’s killing has invoked comparisons with the horrific 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus.

Nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people.

Foul toilets

Exhausted doctors sleep where they can, snatching rest on a chair or the floor.

“They are just completely tired and their bodies cannot push anymore,” Radhika said.

There are restrooms for doctors — but men and women have to share, and some have no lock.

She described one moment of terror when two men barged into the room as she rested.

“I was really scared,” she said.

Foul sanitation — including often one toilet for male and female medics — illustrate a failure by the authorities to provide basic infrastructure.

The situation was particularly worrying when the women were menstruating, Radhika said.

In Kashmir, doctor Rubeena Bhat said some medics would rather use washrooms in houses neighbouring the hospital.

“It’s that bad,” she said.

‘Abuse every day’

One woman doctor in Thiruvananthapuram said she and her colleagues faced abuse every day, from verbal insults to physical molestation.

“There is no end to it,” she said.

Woman doctors have been encouraged to participate in self-defence classes organised by the medical association.

“Doctors are called gods or angels by some people,” the Kerala-based doctor said.

“So we think we are immune to crimes. And when such a crime happens at a place which we consider the safest place, we are all afraid”.

But while questions remain over her safety, Radhika is certain of her future.

“I will fight and continue to be in the healthcare service”, she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at the AIIMS Delhi will today provide elective OPD services outside the Nirman Bhawan, which houses the Union health ministry amid protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata on August 9.

Here Are Top Points On Doctors’ Strike:

New Delhi:

Doctors have begun their 24-hour nationwide strike today in protest against the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning at 6 am, over a week after the horrific incident at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. They also condemned the subsequent vandalism on the campus.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Indian Medical Association (IMA) announces nationwide strike over RG Kar Medical College rape & murder incident.

(Visuals from Patna AIIMS) pic.twitter.com/kmCr5pq0ZN

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024

All essential services will be maintained and casualties will be manned, the IMA said in a statement. The routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted.

The withdrawal is across all sectors, wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service, the top body of doctors said.

“The RG Kar incident has brought to the fore two dimensions of violence in the hospital: A crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women and the hooliganism that is unleashed due to lack of an organised security protocol,” it said.

“The crime and the vandalism have shocked the conscience of the nation. Today, both the medical fraternity and the nation are victims,” the statement added.

5 Demands Of Doctors On Nationwide Strike

The IMA has put forth five demands:

1. It wants a significant policy to address violence against doctors and hospitals. The doctors’ body is pushing for a Central Act that would incorporate the amendments made in 2023 to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This move, it said, would strengthen the existing legislation in 25 states. The IMA has suggested that an ordinance similar to the one enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic would be appropriate in this situation.
2. The IMA has also demanded that hospitals be declared safe zones with the first step being mandatory security entitlements. “The security protocols of all hospitals should be no less than (that of) an airport. Declaring the hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTVs, deployment of security personnel, and the protocols can follow,” it said in the statement.
3. The IMA has demanded a thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors, including the 36-hour duty shift that the victim was in and the lack of safe spaces to take a rest.
4. The IMA has also called for a “meticulous and professional” investigation of the Kolkata horror in a specific time frame and rendering of justice besides identifying those involved in the vandalism of the hospital premises and awarding exemplary punishment.
5. The doctors’ body has also sought an appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family commensurate with the cruelty inflicted.

The trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week inside a medical college in Kolkata where she worked, triggering nationwide protests among doctors. Anger at the failure of tough laws to deter a rising tide of violence against women has fuelled widespread protests by doctors and women’s groups across the country. 

Kolkata:

The political slugfest over the grisly killing of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital ramped up Friday evening after Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated claims the CPIM and BJP, unlikely allies, orchestrated violence and vandalism at the institution early Thursday.

Ms Banerjee – at the centre of crosshairs as the Chief Minister and in-charge of the Home and Health ministries – accused the rivals of trying to obscure the truth behind the rape and murder.

“We want the truth to come out but some are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished,” the Chief Minister said at a rally in Kolkata.

“The nexus between the Left and BJP should be exposed. CPIM and BJP are behind the vandalism of RG Kar Hospital. They vandalised the hospital to destroy evidence…” she claimed.

“Left and BJP want to create unrest in Bengal… they have come together to do this. The people who vandalised the Hospital are outsiders… I have seen many videos,” the Chief Minister alleged, declaring people could be seen holding BJP and CPIM party flags in those videos.

The BJP has counterattacked by trying to invert Ms Banerjee’s narrative, claiming it was her party, in fact, that sponsored the attack on the hospital.

“Mamata Banerjee sent goons to the apolitical rally near RG Kar Hospital. They were given safe passage by police, who either ran off or looked the other way,” Suvendu Adhikari, once Ms Banerjee’s close aide, said on X.

The WB Govt & @KolkataPolice have turned RG Kar Medical College and Hospital into a stinky quagmire by firstly allowing culprits to establish their fiefdom of crime and now allowing TMC goons to stomp upon the whole premises to destroy evidence (whatever was left of it) and scare… pic.twitter.com/5xQ5BljoGE

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 15, 2024

While the BJP is an implacable public enemy of Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool, the CPIM is a member of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc. The Trinamool is also a member of that bloc, although the relationship between itself and the Left party and the Congress is fragile.

The three failed, quite spectacularly and publicly, to find common ground while discussing seat-sharing during the April-June Lok Sabha election, resulting in the INDIA bloc fielding candidates against Ms Banerjee. The BJP, though, couldn’t capitalise on this rift, losing to the Trinamool.

On Wednesday Ms Banerjee also snapped at the Congress, hours after Rahul Gandhi’s acerbic comment about the handling of the case by the “local administration”.

READ | “Want To Ask Congress…”: Mamata Snaps At Ally In Rape-Murder Case

She also complained of a “plethora of heinous crimes” under the CPIM rule.

Mr Gandhi had earlier said “the attempt to save the accused, instead of providing justice to the victim, raises serious questions about the hospital and local administration”.

The Chief Minister and her government have been under heavy fire since the doctor’s body was found in a seminar room of the hospital on August 9.

The doctors’ parents have made multiple allegations against hospital administration and the police, prompting the Calcutta High Court to overrule the Chief Minister’s seven-day deadline to the cops and hand the case to the CBI. The CBI has since also been directed to submit an interim report into the vandalism; the court this morning demanded to know how the police allowed a mob of 7,000 to gather.

READ | “Prove With Pics Crime Scene Intact”: Court To Bengal Over Hospital Vandalism

Kolkata Police have repeatedly and firmly denied any impropriety on their part, insisting their investigation was conducted in accordance with the rules and in a transparent manner. They have, though, admitted to an “assessment failure” with regard to the hospital vandalism.

READ | “Assessment Failure”: Kolkata Police Commissioner On Vandalism At Hospital

The police have also pointed to 25 arrests made in connection with the vandalism. However, in comments that may upset Ms Banerjee’s claims, the cops said many of those arrested said “they came on their own”. “… but we are verifying is there was any conspiracy,” a senior cop said.

Ms Banerjee has defended the state police force, pointing out they had collected forensic evidence, recorded statements, conducted an autopsy, and arrested a suspect within days.

READ | Mamata’s Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder

She has also handed the CBI an ultimatum of sorts, daring the federal agency to complete an investigation that, she claimed, is 90 per cent complete, thanks to Kolkata Police.

The doctor’s murder has also triggered massive protests from the medical community, both in Bengal and across India. The High Court has taken notice of these protests and demanded that the state government provide better protection to doctors and healthcare workers. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first public (but indirect) comment on the Kolkata doctor murder case. During his Independence Day address to the nation he called for the strictest possible punishment for crimes against women… to create faith in society”.

Never far from the headlines, the spectre of violence against women has also reared its ugly head in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand in recent weeks. In the latter state a nurse was raped and killed and, in the former, a husband tied his wife to a bike and dragged her behind him for wanting to visit her sister.

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Kolkata:

An “absolute failure of state machinery” led to the vandalism at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital late Wednesday and early Thursday, the Calcutta High Court said this morning, warning the Bengal government it would order the medical facility to be closed if it is not properly protected.

The medical college was the scene of a grisly murder, and potential rape, on August 9, which has triggered protests and political squabbles nationwide, including Thursday’s ‘Reclaim The Night’ movement during which a mob clashed with police and vandalised parts of the hospital.

In response to the court’s questions, the state explained, “… there was a mob of around 7,000. The number suddenly swelled… I have videos. They broke barricades… tear gas was fired and 15 police personnel were injured. Deputy Commissioner was injured. Police vehicles damaged. Emergency room ransacked (but) place of occurrence (the crime scene) was protected.”

“Hard To Believe Police Didn’t Know…”

But the court, which came down strongly on the hospital administration and the cops in earlier hearings too – after the doctors’ parents alleged negligence – seemed to dismiss the argument.

A bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam demanded to know why permission was granted for public protests on so volatile an issue. “Normally police has an intelligence wing… similar things happened on Hanuman Jayanti. If 7,000 are to gather, it hard to believe police did not know.”

The state responded that no permission had been granted, but the High Court refused to let the matter drop, pointing out that Section 144 (which prohibits large public gatherings in notified areas) was in effect at the time. “… you should have cordoned off the area,” the cops were told.

“7,000 people can’t come walking…” the court continued, waving away the state’s arguments.

“Absolute Failure Of State Machinery”

“This is an absolute failure of state machinery…” the court thundered, “So they (the police) couldn’t protect their own men? A sorry state of affairs. How will doctors there work fearlessly?”

“You are taking measures? What are the preventive measures?” the court also asked.

Meanwhile, arguing for the parents, senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, claimed the police “hid behind the protesters” and argued that a misunderstanding, and not police action, had saved the crime scene from vandalism.

“These hooligans went to look for the third floor.. third floor means fourth storey in Bengali, which was the place of occurrence. They misunderstood and went to the second floor instead, thereby saving the crime scene. State machinery failed… crime scene was RG Kar Hospital and police couldn’t save it.”

The parents’ counsel also flagged demolition/renovation work near the crime scene, which hospital authorities have said had been planned earlier and had nothing to do with the crime.

“What was the urgency…” the court asked, “You go to any district court… no ladies washroom. PwD (Public Works Department) does nothing… what was the need here?”

“We will close down the hospital. We will shift everyone. How many patients are there?” the court raged, even as the state repeatedly assured the court “the crime scene is secure”.

“Okay… we take your word,” the court finally said, but added, “You should also be disturbed! Being a citizen of the city it pains me… It should pain you also.”

The High Court eventually ordered the police, who have arrested nine people so far, to place all details about the protest, including a timeline of events, before the Central Bureau of Investigation, to which the court has given the larger case. “The CBI is directed to proceed as deemed appropriate.”

“What is more important is hospital doctors presently protesting are given adequate protection to discharge their duties. We earlier reminded doctors of their obligation to treat patients… but this incident would definitely impact their mindset.”

Kolkata:

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said Thursday “positive action… which will be exemplary for others” will be taken against those who vandalised the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata late last night.

Parts of the hospital were trashed – by an as yet unidentified mob – during protests against the rape and murder of a junior doctor, on campus, last week. Mr Bose this afternoon met doctors from various state-run institutions who sought his intervention over the violence.

The doctors, mostly women, told him they were “insecure” following the killing and violence. They also told the Governor they had been left “traumatised and terrorised”, to which Mr Bose vowed assistance.

“I am with you. We will fight it out and not allow these ghastly things. We will take positive action which will be exemplary for others,” the Governor told the group of around 20 doctors.

#WATCH | While interacting with protesting doctors & students at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, “You will get justice. I have come here to listen to you personally. We will fight it out and we will win. We are with you. I… pic.twitter.com/XHmicDWY8o

— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024

The delegation also told the Governor the mob wanted to destroy evidence related to the killing of the 31-year-old doctor, whose body was found early on August 10. The autopsy had revealed horrific injuries to her genitals, hands, and legs, and shards of glass were found in one eye.

READ | “Spectacles Shattered, Glass In Eyes”: Autopsy Of Raped Doctor

The killing prompted massive protests by doctors in Bengal and across the country, culminating in a ‘reclaim the night’ movement that began yesterday at 11.55 pm. Tens of thousands of protesters, mostly women, gathered at public spaces in Kolkata, Delhi, and other cities, to demand safety for women.

However, the protests turned violent in the Bengal capital after a mob went on the rampage at the RG Kar Hospital. It is unclear who they were. Visuals showed stones being pelted inside the campus and several injured policemen. Officials said they tried to block the mob from entering but they could not.

READ | Vandalism At Kolkata Hospital Where Doctor Was Raped, Tear Gas Fired

The police then had to use tear gas and lathi charges to control the violence. The police, though, have said that contrary to reports being spread on social media, the vandals did not damage the crime scene.

READ | Mob Vandalised Doctor Rape Murder Case Crime Scene? Cops Respond

Responding to reports the fourth-floor room in which the doctor’s body was found had been trashed, the cops said on X (formerly Twitter), “Crime scene has not been touched. Don’t spread unverified news…” and warned of legal action against those spreading rumours.

Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal, who was on the ground during the mob attack at the hospital, was more forceful, and accused the media of running a “malicious campaign”.

“What happened here is due to a wrong and motivated media campaign. Because of a malicious media campaign, Kolkata Police lost the trust of the people. There is so much pressure from the media.”

The senior cop also denied claims his officers had mishandled the investigation.

The police have arrested nine people so far in connection with the violence.

On Wednesday Mr Bose – who has had frequent public run-ins with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government since his appointment – told reporters of the “alleged connivance of the police”.

READ | “Women Attacked, Disrobed, On Bengal’s Streets”: Governor Turns The Screw

The Calcutta High Court, which has handed the investigation over to the CBI, this week heard a petition by the doctor’s parents, who alleged negligence by hospital authorities and the cops.

The police, though, have firmly dismissed any such claim and stressed that their handling of the case, including communications with the parents, and their investigation into the killing adhered to protocols. In a post on X yesterday the cops also hit back at rumours they had initially filed a case of ‘suicide’ and that they had rushed to cremate the doctor’s body.

Kolkata:

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – already under fire from the BJP over the rape and murder of a doctor at a Kolkata hospital – hit back at allies Congress Wednesday evening, shortly after party MP Rahul Gandhi’s acerbic comment about the handling of the case by the “local administration”.

Ms Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, also took on fierce rivals CPI (Marxist), declaring “heinous crimes” had been committed in Bengal while the Left party was in power and “many incidents” had been reported from Congress-ruled states.

“I want to ask Congress… how many incidents have taken place in your states… what action do you take? And under CPIM rule there were a plethora of heinous crimes (and) the then government was silent. Since there was no social media then… people were not so aware,” she declared.

Referring to iconic Left leader and former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who died last week, she stressed “a lot of heinous crimes took place” while he was in power from 2000 to 2011.

Hours earlier Mr Gandhi said on X that “the attempt to save the accused, instead of providing justice to the victim, raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration”.

READ | “Attempt To Save Accused…”: Rahul Gandhi On Doctor Rape-Murder

The Congress MP’s sharp tweet, which included a reference to the horrific Nirbhaya episode in Delhi in 2012, marked an escalation in the Congress’ comments on the RG Kar rape and murder case, following careful remarks earlier by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress and the Trinamool are allies but their relationship is volatile, a state of affairs emphasised in the build-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when there was heated speculation over seat-sharing. Eventually the Trinamool contested on its own, against the Left and the Congress.

Till Mr Gandhi’s tweet the Congress had maintained a guarded silence on this case.

Apart from Mamata Banerjee, senior Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh also spoke out, calling Mr Gandhi’s allegations “baseless”. “Before making such remarks, he should check… he must not forget the dismal track record on women’s safety during the Rajiv Gandhi regime at the centre…”

“Abuse Me As Much As You Want…”

Ms Banerjee also slammed the BJP – which has launched protests demanding her resignation.

“Abuse me as much as you want… there are people running a smear campaign on social media. But do not abuse ‘Bangla Maa…'” she continued, invoking the party’s ‘Maa, Mati, Manush‘ war-cry.

Ms Banerjee holds Bengal’s Police, Home, and Health ministries, each of which places her firmly in the crosshairs of the BJP and her critics, who have demanded accountability from her and her government amid allegations of serious lapses by hospital administration and even the state police force.

READ | Why CBI Got Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Court’s Remarks

The High Court had taken a dim view of claims by the doctors’ parents – that the police were negligent.

The cops, though, responded, saying reports they first treated the rape and murder as ‘suicide’ and rushed to cremate the body, potentially destroying evidence, were false.

Since points 1 & 2 concern Kolkata Police, we wish to clarify:
1. Reports of KP informing the family about a possible suicide are false. The family confirmed the call did not come from KP
2. ⁠KP didn’t cremate the body of deceased. It was her family who cremated her. https://t.co/ktoVv8scjZ

— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 14, 2024

“I was in Jhargram… I was on my way when I spoke to CP (Kolkata police chief Vineet Kumar Goyal). I also spoke to the parents of the victim and assured them the police will investigate and that I want capital punishment. I stand with what I have said since the first day…” Ms Banerjee said today.

READ | Mamata Says Will Hand Over Rape-Murder Probe To CBI If…

Countering allegations the police failed to secure crucial evidence, the Chief Minister said DNA and CCTV footage was collected and that an accused – Sanjoy Roy – was arrested within 12 hours.

“I visited their residence and took stock, minute-by-minute, of the situation all night. Police also escorted the body of the victim and throughout the investigation like DNA, CCTV footage, sample testing – everything was carried out and within 12 hours the murderer was arrested.”

READ | In Doctor Rape-Murder Case, CBI Will Investigate 6 Key Issues

Roy, now in the custody of the CBI, which was handed the case by the Calcutta High Court Tuesday after it overruled Ms Banerjee’s seven-day deadline for the police to solve this case.

The court’s decision was seen as a direct attack on Ms Banerjee’s government, and she hit out firmly, saying, “For any investigation, you need to give time. I had set a deadline till Sunday. You cannot take action against anyone without proper investigation. I respect both senior and junior doctors.”

“I cannot arrest people without proper investigation.” The Bengal government, however, “will completely follow the High Court and is cooperating with CBI”, she also said.

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