The CBI flagged several hurdles faced while investigating the Kolkata rape-murder during a court hearing on Monday. The central probe agency told the Supreme Court that it suspected key pieces of evidence had been lost amidst a demolition drive ordered by former RG Kar Medical college principal Sandip Ghosh.
"There is a lack of evidence in this case. That is the reason why our detectives are unable to come to a conclusion. From circumstantial evidence, questioning of people and the DNA evidence do not show involvement of multiple persons in the sexual assault on the woman," the officer told PTI.
CBI officials said they had been ‘unable to join several dots’ after taking over the case from Kolkata Police due to lack of evidence from the crime scene. Investigators said Ghosh had ordered the demolition of a restroom and a toilet close to that seminar room on August 10. Key pieces of evidence are suspected to have been lost amidst the demolition by PWD.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court also flagged a ‘14-hour delay by Kolkata Police in registering FIR’ after the attack.
Forensic tests have reportedly confirmed a match between the DNA of the victim and arrested civic volunteer Sanjay Roy. Separate DNA profiling on samples gathered from the victim and Roy and the DNA comparing with other seized evidence from the crime scene also corroborated the CFSL report.
The evidence tampering allegations echo assertions made by the family of the victim over the past month. A video of the crime scene that went viral in August also showed the seminar room crowded with people soon after the body was found.
“When we reached there (after her death), we found several people inside the seminar hall, one policeman guarding the entrance of it and many more standing outside. It can be assumed that the entire scene was very carefully arranged. Going by the brutality of the crime, the scene could not be so,” reports quoting the mother of the victim as saying.
The Kolkata police however insists that the crime scene had been left intact — with people only wandering through the other end of the seminar room. A clarification issued after the clip began circulating indicated that around 40 feet of the room had been cordoned off after the body was found.
(With inputs from agencies)
