New Delhi: A heated controversy has erupted in Kolkata surrounding the investigation into the gruesome murder of a second-year PG student at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9th. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police of a cover-up, alleging that several people, including “outsiders,” were present inside the seminar room where the victim’s semi-nude body was found, potentially compromising the crime scene.
BJP IT cell chief and incharge of the West Bengal unit of the party, Amit Malviya shared a video on X, claiming it shows a packed seminar room with several individuals, including doctors, police officers, hospital staff, and even a lawyer, present in the “Place of Occurrence” (PO) shortly after the discovery. Malviya questions the Kolkata Police’s inaction in preventing the crowd from entering the crime scene, potentially contaminating vital evidence.
“Shocking footage from Seminar Room of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, soon after the lifeless body of the raped and murdered PGT lady doctor was found. The crime scene was completely destroyed with so many doctors, policemen, hospital staff and OUTSIDERS in the Place of Occurrence (PO). One can see these people in the video. There are several others: Sanjeev Chattopadhyaya, OC, RG Kar Outpost, One lawyer Shantanu Dey (in green half shirt). What was he doing there? Prasun Chattopadhyay (in maroon shirt), PA of disgraced former Principal Sandeep Ghosh, Debashis Shome, Forensic Demonstrator,” Malviya wrote on his X.
Shocking footage from Seminar Room of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, soon after the lifeless body of the raped and murdered PGT lady doctor was found.
The crime scene was completely destroyed with so many doctors, policemen, hospital staff and OUTSIDERS in the Place of… pic.twitter.com/M2iaePpAOc
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 26, 2024
“With Kolkata Police present there, why did they not stop the huge crowd from contaminating the crime scene, leading to destruction of vital evidence? Or was that the agenda? Who called the OUTSIDERS inside the hospital premise? Kolkata Police didn’t allow the parents of the deceased to enter the crime scene, then why did they allow the OUTSIDERS to enter?” he added.
The BJP has also criticized the Kolkata Police Commissioner’s statements on the incident, highlighting Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s declaration in the Supreme Court that the PO had been “altered,” implying a deliberate attempt to tamper with evidence. “This raises several questions on the intent of Mamata Banerjee Govt and their calculated attempts to cover up the crime. The out-of-line statements made by the Commissioner of Kolkata Police add to the grisly crime. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while submitting before the special bench of the CJI, in the Supreme Court had said, “Our investigation is a challenge by itself as the PO was altered! Now we know what he meant”, Malviya added.
However, the Kolkata Police have issued a statement refuting the BJP’s allegations, claiming that the video pertains to an area outside the cordoned-off crime scene and that only authorized personnel were allowed to enter the PO.
“When the body was found, the area was immediately cordoned off. Forty feet away from the dead body, no one except scheduled number of people, including some police officials, doctors, forensic team, videography/photography team, who were supposed to enter the PO. The video pertains to the area which is outside the cordon. There were several people including the victim’s family, doctors, in the area,” the official said.