Amid widespread outrage, anger and protests across the country over the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she would extend all support to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The high court on Tuesday transferred the case to the CBI from the Kolkata Police.
Banerjee's remark comes amid agitations by doctors affecting several services, as she urged them to get back to work.
"The Kolkata Police had the evidence, which we have now handed over to the CBI. We want the culprit to be hanged," said Banerjee.
The chief minister said she would abide by the Calcutta High Court’s order and extend all support to the CBI. “We have no problem with CBI being handed over the case as we want it solved at the earliest.”
She alleged that the CPI(M) and the BJP were trying to organise Bangladesh-like protests to capture power in Bengal, reported PTI.
"Abuse me as much as you want, but please don’t abuse the state,” she said.
— When this incident happened, I was returning from Jhargram. The moment it came to my notice I called Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and enquired about the incident, ANI quoted Banerjee.
— They informed me that they were present at the hospital and her parents were also there. I spoke with her parents and assured them that the police would investigate the case and the criminals would be hanged to death.
— I also told them that I would soon visit their place and I visited them on Monday, two days after the incident.
— I was updated minute-to-minute by the police personnel about the sample collection, her cremation and other events.
— CCTV footage of one month was thoroughly searched and within 12 hours, the criminal was arrested after interrogation.
A 25-member CBI team headed by additional director Sampat Meena will remain stationed in Kolkata till the case is completely solved, said sources. The special CBI team also has five forensic experts and AIIMS doctors on the medical board.
On Wednesday, the team visited the scene of crime, collected all documents from the Kolkata Police and recorded some preliminary statements.
Sources said that the CBI also took custody of the accused, Sanjay Roy. They took him for a medical examination and interrogated him.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the entire country was shocked by the gruesome incident, adding, “The attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration.”
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the allegations as baseless. “Before making such remarks, he should check and cross-check facts. He must not forget the dismal track record regarding women’s safety during the Rajiv Gandhi (former PM) regime and (previous) Congress governments at the Centre,” Ghosh said.
Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala slammed the TMC government and said, “What has happened in West Bengal under the watch of Mamata Banerjee and the TMC government is nothing short of Nirbhaya Part 2. It is evident now that this was not a rape, it was a gang rape. The evidence indicates that.”
Accusing the TMC government of not acting swiftly on all the persons involved in the crime, he said, "Only one accused has been arrested. The rest of the accused are being protected because of their links with TMC."
A delegation from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), led by National President Dr RV Asokan, visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to meet the parents of the incident.
"As a team, the IMA went and met the parents of the victim, and we were shattered. They are totally helpless; they have a lot to say about how the incident was not informed to them for several hours. They were not allowed to meet the Principal," he said.
The Kolkata Police rejected reports that the cops informed the family of the raped and murdered RG Kar doctor that she died by suicide. They made the clarification while responding to four questions posed by an X user.
"Justice needs to be served", "No duty without security" and "Justice delayed is Justice denied" — read placards held by protestors in various parts of the country.
On August 9, the body of the woman postgraduate trainee was found inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime.
