The head of the chest department at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, Arunava Dutta Chowdhury, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the hospital’s handling of information concerning the death of a trainee doctor. He stated that it was inappropriate for hospital authorities to inform the victim’s parents that she had died by suicide, as this was not confirmed at the time.
Chowdhury revealed that a woman assistant superintendent was initially tasked with contacting the victim’s parents, but she did not make the call. Instead, another assistant superintendent, Dwaipayan Biswas, informed them of their daughter’s death. Biswas has since been questioned by the police. Chowdhury emphasized that an FIR should have been filed immediately, instead of prematurely informing the family about a suicide.
The 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar room of the medical college on August 9th, reportedly in a half-naked condition. The autopsy report revealed evidence of multiple penetrations and injuries on various parts of her body, including her lips, nose, cheeks, and jaw. The time of death was estimated to be between 3 am and 5 am.
A former student of the medical college, Dr. Subarna Goswami, analyzed the autopsy report and stated that it indicated multiple sexual assaults. He expressed his disgust at the brutality inflicted upon the victim.
Following the autopsy findings, a police volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. Public outrage over the incident led to a group of protesters storming the medical college premises, vandalizing areas related to the case. This incident resulted in the arrest of nine individuals.
The Calcutta High Court responded to the public outcry by ordering the immediate transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 13th. The case continues to be investigated by the CBI, with the hospital’s handling of the initial information facing significant criticism.
