Kolkata doctor rape-murder: What did hospital tell parents on August 9? Details of first 3 calls surface
An audio clip purportedly recording the first three conversations between parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9 at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and a staff of the institution surfaced on social media on Thursday.
The contents of the clip, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by HT, matched with what the victim’s parents earlier told the media about receiving the first information from a woman who identified herself as an assistant superintendent of the hospital but did not reveal her name.
On August 14, Dr Arunava Dutta Chowdhury, who was till then in charge of the chest department, where the alleged crime took place, told the media that the calls were made by Sucharita Sarkar, a non-medical assistant superintendent.
Sarkar, who has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has never faced the media since August 9.
In the recording of the first purported phone conversation, the caller told the victim’s father: “Your daughter is very sick and has been admitted to the hospital. Can you come fast?
When the father asked what had happened, the woman said, “She is unwell. The doctors can say what has happened to her. We found your number and that’s why we are calling to inform you.”
In the audio clip of the second purported conversation, the caller said: “She is extremely unwell and has been admitted to the emergency department. I cannot say what has happened to her. Only the doctors can tell you. Can you come immediately?”
When the victim’s father wanted to know the identity of the woman, she said, “I am assistant superintendent. I am not a doctor.”
In the third call, the woman said, “She has probably committed suicide. Maybe she is dead. The police are here and we all are here. Come as fast as you can.”
The victim’s father had apparently kept his phone on speaker so that his wife could also hear the conversation.
While the post-mortem report said the woman died sometime between 3am and 5am on August 9, hospital officials claimed the body was spotted around 9am at the seminar hall of the chest department on the third floor of the emergency building.
The victim’s father said on August 9 that he received the first call from the hospital at 10.53am and subsequently received two more calls before he and his wife reached the hospital. He did not mention the time of the second and the third calls.
“The woman did not identify herself but said my daughter was unwell and we should rush to the hospital. She identified herself as an assistant superintendent and said my daughter was in critical condition. In the third call, she said my daughter had committed suicide,” the victim’s father said on August 9.
The parents, who live in North 24 Parganas district, avoided the media on Thursday and did not take calls after the audio clips surfaced.
They alleged earlier that both the Kolkata police and the hospital authorities tried to hide information from them but did not carry out a proper investigation.
Sanjay Roy (31), a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata police, was arrested by the police on August 10 as the prime suspect.
Kolkata police officials refused to comment on the audio clips, saying the case is being probed by the CBI under the high court’s supervision.
The CBI began its probe on August 14, less than 24 hours after the Calcutta high court transferred the case to the federal agency. The court passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the victim’s parents. The CBI has not arrested anyone so far.
Soumyadip Roy, an agitating junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, said, “We had been saying from the very beginning that hospital authorities tried to cover up the crime. This should be investigated thoroughly.”