Kolkata, 11 June (H.S.):

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday submitted its fourth status report in the rape and murder case of a woman doctor employed at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The report was presented before a Kolkata trial court and outlines developments in the investigation, particularly regarding the alleged conspiracy behind the crime.

Earlier, in its first two status reports, the CBI had listed the names of 36 individuals questioned during the investigation—24 in the first report and 12 in the second. Following the court’s direction, the fourth report includes the related statements and documents of these individuals.

However, the victim’s legal representative sharply criticized the CBI's report during the court proceedings. The lawyer alleged that the agency is “playing with words” and merely repeating details already submitted in previous reports. “This appears to be a copy-paste exercise,” he said, further demanding that those who contacted the victim shortly before her death be taken into custody and interrogated.

The court, acknowledging the gravity of the case, urged the CBI to handle the investigation with utmost seriousness, emphasizing that the crime occurred at the victim’s workplace while she was on duty.

The body of the young doctor was discovered on the morning of August 9, 2024, in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. So far, only one person—civic volunteer Sanjay Roy—has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the victim’s parents have consistently maintained that Roy was not the sole perpetrator and that multiple individuals were involved in the heinous act.

The family has repeatedly accused the CBI of being negligent and failing to thoroughly investigate all possible leads in the case.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh