Kolkata:

A designated CBI court, while denying bail to former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh, has observed that the nature and gravity of the accusation against him is grave and could attract capital punishment if proved.

The CBI had arrested Ghosh and former officer in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, for alleged tampering of evidence and delay in filing of FIR in the rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run hospital on August 9.

The court in its order, dictated on September 25, said it appears from the case diary that the process of investigation by the central probe agency is in full swing.

Denying the bail prayer of Ghosh, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate S Dey observed that the nature and gravity of the accusation is grave and if proved, it may attract capital punishment, which is handed in the rarest of rare cases.

The judge said the court is of the opinion that “it would be injustice flouting the principle of equity to release the accused on bail”.

He said in the order that a person may commit an offence with the help of other/s, and there is no need to be present for the other accused at the place of occurrence.

The court also rejected the bail prayer of Abhijit Mondal.

It granted the CBI’s prayer for judicial custody of the two accused till September 30.

Ghosh’s counsel claimed before the judge at Sealdah Court here that he was falsely implicated in the case and there was no act on his part to commit the crime as alleged.

The postgraduate trainee’s body was found with severe injuries in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital on August 9. 

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

Kolkata:

Fulfilling some of its key promises made to the protesting doctors during their meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, the West Bengal government has transferred Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal as well as the state’s Director of Medical Education and Director of Health Services.

Mr Goyal has been replaced by Manoj Kumar Verma, a 1998-batch officer, who held the post of Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to which he was appointed in January this year. Mr Verma had taken over from Jawed Shamim, who was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Kolkata Police Commissioner’s post. Mr Shamim will now be replacing Mr Verma.

Vineet Goyal, who is a 1994-batch officer and had been the Kolkata Police Commissioner since December 2021, will be assuming charge as the Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police (Special Task Force).

The transfers and appointments were announced in a notification on Tuesday afternoon and included the names of four other police officers as well. Among them was Deputy Commissioner (North Division) Abhishek Gupta, who has been replaced by Dipak Sarkar. The North Division is where the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is located and the parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the hospital on August 9 had alleged that Mr Gupta had offered them money.

Shortly after the notification on the police officers was released, the Bengal government announced that Dr Kaustav Nayak had been removed as the Director of Medical Education and Dr Debasish Halder as the Director of Health Services.

The order by the health department said Dr Swapan Soren has been appointed the new in-charge director of health services and Dr Suparna Dutta the officer on special duty for medical education.

Dr Nayak will take charge as the Director of the Institute of Health and Family Welfare while Dr Halder has been posted as the officer on special duty (public health) at Swasthya Bhawan.

‘Younger Brothers’

Doctors, who have been protesting since the rape and murder came to light, finally met Chief Minister Banerjee on Monday after talks fell through several times over a demand for live streaming of the meeting. The West Bengal government had termed Monday’s invitation its “fifth and final” invite.

While Ms Banerjee had earlier said that Mr Goyal had offered to resign multiple times and asked the protesting doctors to wait, given the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations, she announced on Monday that the Kolkata Police Commissioner would be replaced, as would the Deputy Commissioner (North Division) and the two health officials.

Speaking after the meeting, the chief minister said she had accepted 99% of the doctors’ “demands because they are our younger brothers”.

Doctors had become more vocal for the removal of the Kolkata Police Commissioner after the CBI arrested Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station (under which the RG Kar Hospital falls) last week and alleged that they tampered with evidence. This lent credence to the doctors’ claim that the case was not handled properly by the Kolkata Police and there was an attempted cover-up.

As their agitation entered its 39th day, the doctors said earlier on Tuesday that the state government accepting their demands was a big victory but a final call on withdrawing their agitation would be taken only after the state government implements its announcements “in true spirit”.

A day after fast-paced developments, when talks between them and the West Bengal government failed to take place for the third straight day and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to resign, protesting junior doctors have written to the President and the Prime Minister, requesting them to intervene and end the impasse. 

The doctors have been staging an agitation since a trainee doctor was raped and murdered in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

In their four-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu, which has been copied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Health Minister JP Nadda, the doctors wrote, “We humbly place the issues before your esteemed excellency, as the head of state, so that our unfortunate colleague who has been the victim of the most despicable crime shall receive justice, and so that we, the healthcare professionals under the West Bengal Health department, may be able to discharge our duties to the public without fear and apprehension.”

Stating that there has been a rise in “institutional threats, violence and vandalism” since the protests began, the doctors added, “Your intervention in these trying times will act as a beacon of light to us all, showing us the way ahead out of the darkness that surrounds us.”

Towards the end of August, Ms Murmu had said she was dismayed and horrified by the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. 

“What is more depressing is that it (the Kolkata rape and murder) was not the only incident of its kind… it was part of a series of crimes against women,” she had said, adding, “In the 12 years since Nirbhaya, countless rapes have been forgotten by society. This collective amnesia is obnoxious.” 

On Thursday, the West Bengal government had invited the protesting doctors for talks again but they did not attend despite reaching the venue because their demand for a live telecast of the meeting had not been met. 

After waiting for the doctors for over two hours, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was willing to step down in the interest of the people and did not want the post. 

“I know many in the delegation were interested in talks. But two of three people were giving instructions from outside. We have seen all that. We could see that because it was being recorded by the press, which were standing right behind… They were giving instructions – ‘Do not negotiate, do not go to the meeting’,” she said. 

Kolkata:

In another setback for Sandip Ghosh, who was the principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when a trainee doctor was raped and murdered there last month, a special CBI court has sent him to judicial custody till September 23. Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on September 2 in a case of alleged financial irregularities at the hospital, and has been in the agency’s custody since then.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered the transfer of the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities at the state-run hospital, where Ghosh had been the principal since 2021 – with a brief hiatus in between – from a special investigation team of the Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 23. The order had come after a former deputy superintendent of the facility, Dr Akhtar Ali, had sought an investigation. 

Mr Ali had accused Sandip Ghosh of involvement in the illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste, and issuing tenders to select medicine and medical equipment suppliers in exchange for commission. He had also alleged that students were pressured to pay amounts running into lakhs of rupees to pass exams. 

Ghosh was arrested by the CBI after being questioned several times in a span of two weeks. Three other people – vendors Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara, and Afsar Ali, a security guard – were also taken into custody.

After Ghosh was sent to the CBI’s custody for eight days a day after his arrest, he was suspended by the West Bengal government, which has been under fire over its handling of the rape and murder case and a posting given to the former RG Kar principal after he resigned following the crime.

On Tuesday, Ghosh, Afsar Ali, Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara were sent to judicial custody by the special CBI court in Kolkata’s Alipore till September 23.

Protests Continue

On Friday, the Supreme Court had also dismissed Ghosh’s petition challenging the Calcutta High Court order transferring the investigation into the irregularities to the CBI. He had also sought the removal of certain comments made by the high court, and the Supreme Court said no to that as well.

Kolkata and several other places have seen continued protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in the hospital on August 9. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also found herself being attacked by the BJP and other parties and criticised by the victim’s parents after she asked people to return to ‘pujo’ celebrations, referring to the the upcoming Durga Puja festival. 

“It has been a month (since the August 9 incident). I request you return to pujo, return to the festivities and ask the CBI to ensure justice as soon as possible,” she said on Monday. 

Reacting to the comments, the victim’s parents told news agency PTI, “We celebrated Durga Puja with our daughter, we will not celebrate Durga Puja or any other festival for years to come. Her remarks are insensitive.”

BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress chief of treating people like puppets. “(Do you think) they will stand, sit, celebrate and stop protests when you ask them to? The pujo fortnight has not started yet, the demon is yet to be slayed. Be patient, the Mother’s power has awakened, it will cleanse Bengal,” he wrote in a post on X. 

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court will today hear the case related to the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will oversee the proceedings.

On Sunday night, thousands gathered in Kolkata and across the globe, demanding justice for the victim. These demonstrations were part of a larger wave of protests, organised under the banner of “Reclaim the Night,” a movement calling for safety and justice for women in public spaces.

Supreme Court’s Earlier Hearing

The Supreme Court on August 20 termed the incident “horrific” and took additional measures to address safety concerns within the healthcare sector. The court issued several directives, including the formation of a 10-member National Task Force to develop protocols for ensuring the safety of doctors and healthcare workers across the country.

The court called upon protesting doctors who had been striking in solidarity with the victim to return to work, stating that “justice and medicine cannot be stopped.” 

The case initially faced delays, with the Supreme Court, during its hearing on August 22, criticising the Kolkata Police for their sluggish handling of the investigation. It was not until August 13 that the Calcutta High Court intervened, transferring the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI began its probe the following day, August 14.

The victim’s body was discovered in a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9, bearing severe injuries. A civic volunteer was arrested the next day in connection with the crime, but the investigation has since widened, resulting in the arrest of the college’s former principal as well.

Protests Worldwide 

From the streets of Kolkata to the cities of Europe, Asia, and the United States, the global Indian community rallied for justice Sunday night. Over 130 protests took place in 25 countries, including major cities like Stockholm, Sydney, and New York. Protesters – many clad in black -held vigils, sang in Bengali, and chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim.

The streets of Kolkata were transformed into protest sites as men and women, young and old, took to the streets to demand justice. From forming human chains to holding burning torches, protesters expressed their anger and sorrow for the victim, who they symbolically named “Tilottama” or “Abhaya.” 

“Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve society. Now, all these protesters are my children,” the victim’s mother said at a rally in Kolkata, as quoted by news agency PTI.

A 14-kilometre-long human chain stretching from Shyambazar in North Kolkata to the suburb of Sodepur was also organised. Thousands of citizens, including rival football fans from East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting, stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their call for justice.

Centre vs State 

Amid the protests, a political clash has emerged between the Centre and the West Bengal government, with the former accusing the state of “unpardonable” non-cooperation in extending logistical support to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which was tasked with providing security at RG Kar Medical College. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in its application to the Supreme Court, has called the lack of cooperation from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government “symptomatic of a systemic malaise.”

The Centre has urged the top court to direct the West Bengal government to fully cooperate with the CISF, failing which it has requested contempt proceedings against the officials responsible for non-compliance
 

Kolkata:

The absence of the CBI’s investigating officer in the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata and a 40-minute delay in the arrival of the agency’s lawyer prompted an angry court in the city to wonder if it should grant bail to the main accused. The court also pulled up the agency and said this reflected a “lethargic attitude” on its part.

The developments in court also prompted an attack on the CBI and the BJP from the Trinamool Congress, which has been under fire over its handling of the horrific crime, with the party alleging that attempts are being made to “sabotage justice”. The investigation had been transferred to the agency from the Kolkata Police on the directions of the Calcutta High Court.

Hearing the bail petition of Sanjay Roy – a civic volunteer who has been arrested for raping and killing the trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital – on Friday afternoon, a magistrate at the Sealdah court noted that the CBI’s investigating officer was not present for the hearing. 

As Roy’s lawyer made arguments for bail, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pamela Gupta was informed that the public prosecutor would be arriving late. While the wait for the lawyer continued, the magistrate remarked, “Should I grant bail to Sanjay Roy? This reflects a severely lethargic attitude on the part of the CBI. It is very unfortunate.”

The lawyer eventually reached about 40 minutes late, prompting the defence attorney to also raise the issue of the delay. The arguments then continued and, after hearing both sides, the magistrate sent Roy to judicial custody for 14 days. 

Reacting to what had happened in the court, the Trinamool Congress said this reflected a “blatant disregard for justice”. 

“The court got angry, waited, and yet no one came. We want to ask what happened. Why is the opposition not reacting to this? It has been over 24 days and over 570 hours since the CBI took over the investigation, what has been the result? The entire country is asking. This shows that the CBI is not taking the case seriously…” Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said.

In two different posts on X, the Trinamool Congress also hit out at the BJP and the CPM.

“Today, during the R G Kar case hearing, the Investigating Officer & Public Prosecutor of @CBIHeadquarters went MIA (missing in action). Is this not an outright insult to the victim? A blatant disregard for justice? Where are the demands for accountability? Have @BJP4India & @CPIM_WESTBENGAL lost their voice?” the party’s handle posted. 

“After 24 days of stalling, @CBIHeadquarters  didn’t even bother to send their Investigating Officer or Public Prosecutor for the R G Kar case hearing. This is nothing short of SABOTAGING JUSTICE!” it said in another post, adding that the CBI should stop “dragging its feet” and the BJP should take out a protest march against this. 

The trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and her body was found on August 9. Her autopsy report, which put the time of death between 3 and 5 am, revealed that several injuries were inflicted on her before she was smothered to death.

Kolkata:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital has found a crucial document showing that former principal Sandip Ghosh gave instructions to the state public works department (PWD) to conduct renovation in areas adjacent to the scene of the crime a day after victim’s body was recovered.

The body of the victim was recovered on the morning of August 9 from the seminar room within the hospital premises.

Sources said the investigating officials secured a crucial document showing that Ghosh issued the permission letter to state PWD to conduct renovation work in a room and toilet adjacent to the seminar hall, which is the scene of the crime.

The investigating officials have accessed that permission letter which bears the signature of Ghosh and is dated August 10, sources said.

Sources said that initially it was perceived that the instruction to PWD to start the renovation work was given by an administrative official of RG Kar under the instruction of Ghosh.

However, on accessing the permission letter it is clear how keen Ghosh was in getting the renovation completed.

On August 13 evening, just hours after a division bench of Calcutta High Court ordered CBI to take over the rape and investigation probe from Kolkata Police, the state PWD staff attempted the renovation work at a room adjacent to the seminar hall from where the body of the victim was recovered on the morning of August 9.

However, that renovation work could not be carried out following massive protests by the students’ fraternity within the hospital premises as soon as the work started.

Sources said that the investigating officials believe that since the document shows Ghosh’s keenness in getting the renovation done, it can be handy in establishing the links between the two parallel investigations by the agency — the first being on the rape and murder case and the second on the financial irregularities at RG Kar.

Incidentally, Ghosh is currently in CBI custody in connection with the financial irregularities case.

The protesting representatives from the state’s medical fraternity have been claiming that the incident at RG Kar was not an isolated case of rape and murder and the victim was killed as she became aware of the irregularities.

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

President Droupadi Murmu – in her first public statement on the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata nearly 20 days ago – said she is “dismayed and horrified”. She said no civilised society can allow women to be subjected to such atrocities.

President Murmu’s Quotes On Crime Against Women

The rage is different this time. Whether it is a case from a Kolkata hospital or a school in the Mumbai suburb of Thane. The dirty secret of the Malayalam film industry is already out in the open. The anger isn’t helped when one learns that even in such heinous crimes, it may take 32 long years to get justice, as in the case involving girls in Rajasthan’s Ajmer in the early 1990s.

But the outrage this time is different, and that gives us hope. It has transcended petty politics. The political class stands discredited. The police administration is frightened. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance.

The good thing is that this time, the anger is against the powerful system where some predators shamelessly cross all limits while using power or access to it for their own benefits, both carnal or otherwise. The anger is now against the patriarchy that is at the root of all discrimination in the world.

Patriarchy And The Law Of The Jungle

Patriarchy is a disorder that operates according to the law of the jungle. Here, might is considered right. If one has power, they can do anything according to their own will – with their strength, influence, reach, by breaking the system, or by forcibly taking away others’ rights. Sexual harassment is the most perverse manifestation of patriarchy and the jungle raj it represents.

On paper, we have left behind the laws of the jungle, right? But the wild animals still roam the streets in Kolkata, Ajmer, Kochi, Bareilly, Thane, Patna, Satna, Kathua, Hathras… Thousands of names can be added to the list. There are millions of people who still believe in a false sense of superiority that the jungle playbook affords.

But this time, the anger is against those who adhere to these principles. People have begun to realise that the jungle raj serves the interests of a few. It is a kind of democratic upsurge that may lead to far-reaching and sweeping changes.

Those who are wedded to the idea of the rule of law know how beneficial it can be to maintain a safe environment for women. The International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a survey in 2018 and came up with some startling findings. Where companies struggle to increase profit margins by 2-3%, it was found that increasing female representation on boards raises profit margins by a whopping 5 to 20%.

Some other salient findings of the survey are:

• Increasing female representation raises the likelihood of increased profits and productivity by up to 63%
• Retaining good talent becomes 60% easier
• The chance of innovation increases by 59%
• The company’s reputation increases by 58%
• Understanding consumer behaviour becomes 38% easier

Despite these benefits, changes are woefully slow to come. Look at what a recent UN report says. Worldwide, 270 crore women do not have the rights to the same kind of jobs that men have. Among the 190 countries assessed, 69 have some restrictions on women working in all sectors. And in as many as 43 countries, there are no laws to prevent sexual harassment of women in workplaces. Horrible, isn’t it?

The same UN report also says that worldwide, while only 61% of women attempt to enter the job market; the rate for men is over 90%. And if a woman becomes a mother, only half of them get opportunities to enter the workforce. Men face no such restrictions after becoming fathers. Must be the design of the same set of patriarchal forces.

Why Some Are Scared Of Rule Of Law

The discrimination is beyond comprehension, given the kind of benefits that can accrue if we do away with it. Such discrimination can only exist in a patriarchy-driven jungle raj. 

The question is, why has patriarchy remained so unshakeable for centuries? Clearly, it’s the interests of a powerful few. Those with influence do not want the rule of law to replace this jungle raj. The perks they receive due to their influence make them fearful of losing them under the rule of law.

Some patriarchy exists in all of us – in men and women both. More in some, less in others. However, the rage across the country gives hope that its hold will weaken. It happened after the Nirbhaya movement, and even after the all-powerful MeToo movement that swept the world not too long ago. We all need to fully understand that the destruction of patriarchy is in everyone’s best interest.

Shouldn’t we all unite in our quest to establish the rule of law, a system free from any might-is-right principles?

(Mayank Mishra is Consulting Editor and Vasudha Venugopal is Anchor and Political Editor, at NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:
The brutal murder and rape case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, which has sent shockwaves across the country, has reached the Supreme Court. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud is currently hearing the matter.

Supreme Court’s Top Quotes On Kolkata Horror