The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation and filed a case into the chilling rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, hours after an order by the Calcutta High Court.
The court noted serious lapses in the hospital administration's response after the doctor was found dead in its seminar hall on last Friday morning, her clothes in disarray and injuries all over her body. The victim's parents, the court said, want an investigation by an independent body to ensure that evidence is not tampered with.
The court came down heavily on Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the state-run college, saying it was "disheartening" that he was not "proactive". The court also flagged that the former Principal was given the same role in another college hours after he resigned and said he must be immediately relieved of duties and sent on leave.
Dr Ghosh stepped down on Monday, saying that he cannot take the humiliation on social media in the wake of the doctor's rape-murder. Hours later, he was given a new role as the Principal of Calcutta National Medical College. This sparked a wave of protest, as protesting doctors questioned the rush behind his new appointment.
Pulling up the state government for giving a new role to Dr Ghosh shortly after his resignation, the court said, "The appropriate authority should have borne in mind the circumstances under which the resignation was given. Therefore, even that resignation was not accepted, the least that can be expected from the department is to release the Principal from the administrative responsibility and not assign him any other duty of equal responsibility. This professor has been made Principal of another medical college. It is not clear as to what was the urgency in doing so."
The hospital administration, the court noted, was not with the victim or the family of the victim. "The case on hand is a peculiar case. There should be no further loss of time. There may be possibility of evidence being tampered," the court said.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said Kolkata Police must complete their probe by Sunday, failing which the state government would recommend a CBI probe if the victims' parents want. Opposition parties, led by the BJP, had demanded a central agency probe, warning against tampering of proof if state police investigated the case that has sent shockwaves through the nation.
On Monday, govt hospitals across India experienced significant disruptions in outpatient services and routine surgeries as resident doctors staged widespread protests against the rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkatqa. The protest highlighted the growing outrage within the medical community over the gruesome incident and the perceived inadequacies in probing it. Hospitals in Delhi and Kolkata were most affected as the two cities emerged as the epicentres of the protest.
