The CBI on Monday submitted a status report in a court in Kolkata’s Sealdah in the case of alleged tampering of evidence in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August last year, maintaining that the investigation in the matter was still on and a supplementary chargesheet would be filed soon.
Dr Sandip Ghosh, the then principal of RG Kar Medical College, and former Tala police station officer incharge Abhijit Mondal are accused in the case. Both were granted bail by the court in the case in December 2024 after the CBI failed to submit a chargesheet within 90 days of filing the FIR. But Ghosh remains in custody in the RG Kar financial irregularities case.
The central agency on Monday informed the court that the SIM card of Abhijit Mondal could not be returned as yet due to the ongoing probe.
A Kolkata court had on January 20 sentenced the rape-murder convict, Sanjay Roy, to life imprisonment.
During the hearing in the Sealdah court on Monday, the victim’s parents alleged that they were kept in the dark by the agency regarding the progress of the case.
The counsel representing the victim’s parents submitted in the court that the CBI does not keep any contact with the family or inform them about further investigation. The victim’s mother broke down during the hearing, saying, “My daughter was on duty. We want to know why did this happen to her.”
Rejecting their claim, the CBI counsel submitted, “In this case, investigation is still on whether there was any tampering of evidence or any attempt at cover-up. The family was never kept in the darkness. Seven status reports have been submitted in the Supreme Court and the family was also informed.”
The victim’s father said in the court, “The CBI is conducting the investigation for the past seven months and the last time they visited us was on November 10 to supply us with a summons copy. The Kolkata Police investigated the matter for the first five days and visited us just once. With regards to the CBI probe we do not know where the investigation stands.”
He further alleged that in the beginning, they were not even allowed to enter the courtroom during the trial. The family’s counsel submitted, “There has been a communication gap but we are happy that the CBI today submitted a status report in the matter.”
After hearing the family’s plea, the judge observed, “I can understand the pain and concern but do not feel that you (parents) have been left out of the case. You have to be patient. Whatever has happened has happened under the instructions of the court. There has been a conviction in the case. The CBI and the Kolkata Police have certain protocols to follow. They will certainly inform you after a period of time. It is not mandatory for the CBI to inform whom all they are questioning or will question. They are not even obliged to inform the details of the CFSL report or any other report.”
Meanwhile, in the Alipore Special CBI court, Dr Sandeep Ghosh and two others filed petitions seeking orders to the CBI to allow them to examine the documents submitted by the agency. The court granted them permission, saying their counsels will be given time to verify the documents in the CBI office in Kolkata’s Nizam Palace on February 26 and February 27.
Recently, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court expressed “hope” that the lower court would start the trial in the case of alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College by early March. Dr Sandip Ghosh and four others are named as accused in the irregularities case.
The CBI had submitted its chargesheet in the case on November 28, 2024. In January, Ghosh filed a petition in the High Court seeking an order to quash the charges framed against him.
The bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed that the process of framing of charges be started within a week. Following the HC order, the Alipore court hurriedly issued an order for framing charges. The accused then moved Justice Ghosh’s bench again for modifications to his earlier order but the judge refused. The accused then moved an appeal before a division bench headed by Justice Bagchi.