KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday detained Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, for questioning in the August 9 alleged rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at the hospital’s chest department, where she was on duty.
Ghosh was called for questioning on Friday and later was released. On Saturday he was again called for questioning and till now he was not released. The CBI on Saturday also detained the food delivery boy who delivered food on that day and also detained him.
Sources in CBI said that Ghosh had informed them about a big racket running on illegal scams in the medical fraternity. Several famous doctors who are close to the state government are allegedly involved in the racket. The names will be declared once CBI gets hold of the complete details.
The interrogation of Ghosh was welcomed by the agitating students at RG Kar Hospital.
“We were saying from day one that he should be questioned,” Soumyadip Roy, a junior doctor, said.
Ghosh was summoned by CBI on Friday, but instead of going to the agency’s office at the Salt Lake CGO Complex, he moved a petition through a lawyer before the bench of the Calcutta high court Chief Justice seeking immunity from arrest. The court rejected the prayer and said Ghosh could be charged with contempt of court for moving such a petition.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family members claimed that the victim in her diary had mentioned the illegal racket involving doctors, nurses, students and group D staff that has been going on in the hospital for a long time and that the hospital administration has failed to look into the matter.
The victim’s father said, “Apart from the civic volunteer Sanjoy Rao who has been arrested by Kolkata Police, some other big people are involved in this heinous crime and they should be arrested immediately.”
The Kolkata Police arrested 30 people in connection with the vandalism of the hospital premises. The police had recently released photos and videos of the vandals, seeking help from the general public in identifying them. Sources say five of the accused arrested so far were caught with the public's help. Most accused are from North Kolkata and Barrackpore Commissariate.
Soumik Das, a resident of East Sinthee area, is allegedly the one of the people who broke the gate and vandalised the hospital. Following his arrest on Friday, Das said, “I went with my gym partner to protest. I also went with the others and broke the gate. I have realised now that I did wrong. I am feeling bad about it. I made a mistake.”
Another vandal identified from the photos and videos is Naveen Singh, a resident of Belgachia, who was turned in by his father once the footage surfaced.
Naveen’s father Vinod Singh said, “My son heard the noise and ran to RG Kar Hospital where stone-pelting was taking place. He was there. His photo came out on Facebook. The police reached us and I took Naveen myself to the Lalbazar Police Station. My son has not done anything. People who indulged in vandalism should be arrested.”
Locals described Naveen Singh as a “good person”.
“That day, we all went there and we came back after the rally. Naveen is a good boy. After hearing that something was happening, he went there (to the hospital). Then his photo came out,” a shopkeeper in the area said.
The parents of two others arrested Sourav Dey and Soumyadip Manish, also claim their sons were arrested without cause.
Gopal Manish, Soumyadip’s father, said: “He went there with friends. He was taking a selfie. The police arrested them yesterday. They have not done anything.”
Rabindranath, Sourav’s uncle, said, “They went with friends. They went over the guard rail to take a photo. Please save them.”
As the investigation into the rape and murder as well as the vandalism progresses, questions are being raised over the motive of the vandals. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as well as opposition CPM and BJP alleged that the violence was meant to destroy evidence.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, the lawyer of the rape victim’s parents, also stated in court that the vandals had “instructions to wipe out evidence”.
The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal. An unverified video also surfaced on social media in which someone is heard shouting “go to the seminar hall”, leading to speculation that the vandals planned to tamper with the crime scene.
The BJP on Saturday accused the West Bengal government of cracking down on doctors and a section of the media for demanding justice in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor, terming it the "most sinister and institutional cover-up" to save the culprits.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that the sole agenda of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government is "silencing the truth, saving rapists and destroying evidence at any cost".
He told reporters that 43 doctors were transferred in the state, including a few to remote areas, for allegedly raising their voice for justice while police have been warning citizens and journalists of legal action for their crusade for justice.
The priority of police is not to act against thousands of vandals who stormed R G Kar Medical Hospital but to act against those raising their voice for justice, he claimed, adding that some journalists have had to deactivate their social media accounts.
"The TMC has come to represent an authoritarian and Talibani mindset," the BJP spokesperson alleged, adding that the biggest of dictators will admire Banerjee for her action in this case.
Meanwhile TMC leader Shantanu Sen has been removed from his post in Bengal.
Poonawalla said TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen was removed from his position for saying that there were many complaints against the college principal, who was immediately rehabilitated by the government after his decision to quit.