The incident, which occurred on August 9, has sent shockwaves through the medical community and the city at large, prompting widespread protests and calls for justice.

Expressing her deep anguish over the incident in an Instagram video, Moitra said, “It is absolutely insane that a young girl goes to her workplace and after a 36-hour shift goes to rest in a room and is brutally raped and murdered. My heart bleeds for the victim.”

“This could be me, you. It could be all of us women,” she said, adding, “The least we can expect is an atmosphere of safety at our workspace.”

Acknowledging the “fear and insecurity” the incident had triggered, she cautioned against misinformation. “In the fog of emotion, there is room also for lots of false propaganda. I am here to put things on record,” she said.

She refuted claims that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and elected representatives were involved in a systemic cover-up. “When informed, the Chief Minister spoke to the family immediately and, upon her return to Kolkata, she visited them. The accused was arrested within 12 hours based on CCTV evidence,” Moitra said, adding that the Chief Minister had offered to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Calcutta High Court has since ordered a CBI investigation.

She pointed out that the investigation relies heavily on forensic evidence, which is currently with the Central Forensic Lab. “It is impossible to make arrests without forensic or CCTV evidence,” she added.

Moitra reassured the public that both the state government and Kolkata police are cooperating with the CBI in their investigation. “Whatever the questions on the conduct of the officers at the hospital are justified, and everything is being done to stand with the people. All we want is for the perpetrators to be brought to book as soon as possible, and for the women of West Bengal to feel that this is justifiably the safest place for them,” she said.

Despite the grim circumstances, Moitra pointed out that Kolkata has consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in India according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). She emphasised the role of Mamata Banerjee, the only woman Chief Minister in India, in advocating for women’s rights. “To say all of you are ‘laapataa ladies’ and ‘gungi gudiyas’ is a political narrative that we will fight,” she said.

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