Twist in Kolkata doctor rape-murder case, parents claim ‘police tried to bribe us’
The family members of the trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month, on Wednesday alleged that the police tried to suppress the case by hurriedly cremating the body of their daughter. The victim’s father also alleged that the Kolkata Police also tried to bribe them with money.
“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. Later, when the body was handed over to us, a senior police official offered us money, which we immediately declined,” news agency PTI quoted the victim’s father as saying.
The victim’s parents further demanded justice for their daughter while participating in a protest at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital along with junior doctors on Wednesday night.
On August 9, the body of the 31-year-old trainee woman doctor was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A day after the incident, the Kolkata Police arrested the main accused, Sanjay Roy, after he was seen entering the building around the estimated time of the crime in a CCTV camera footage, and his bluetooth headphones were found near the crime scene.
The probe revealed that after severely hurting and sexually assaulting the doctor, Sanjay Roy killed the victim by throttling and smothering her.
A week after the incident, the Calcutta High Court handed over the probe to the CBI.
Protests over Kolkata rape-murder case
Days after the incident came to light, massive protests erupted across the country, with people, including doctors, demanding justice for the victim.
On Tuesday, a delegation of junior doctors in Kolkata presented a hand-made artificial spine to city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and demanded his resignation over the alleged lapses in the case. The action was a way to ask the police to “grow a backbone”.
Meanwhile, the casework by junior doctors at state-run hospitals in West Bengal continued on Wednesday in order to protest, with the health services remaining crippled at most facilities.
Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of women across West Bengal marched at midnight as part of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ campaign, demanding justice for the victims. At around 9 pm, Kolkata witnessed a unique and stirring act of civic solidarity, with residents turning off their lights for an hour and descending onto the streets with candles in hand.