Kolkata, 17 May (H.S.) : Retired justice and BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay raised serious questions over the role of Central Bureau of Investigation officer Seema Pahuja in the probe into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

While praising the overall investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the BJP MP alleged that the investigating officer failed to properly handle crucial aspects of the case and may have aided in the destruction of evidence.

Gangopadhyay suddenly visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday wearing a doctor’s apron. During his visit, he walked through different sections of the hospital and stopped in front of a sealed CBI room linked to the investigation.

Speaking there, he alleged that significant evidence could have been recovered from the sealed room but claimed that the CBI failed to pursue that line of investigation. According to him, lapses in the probe stemmed largely from the conduct of Seema Pahuja, who continues to remain the investigating officer in the case.

The body of the woman doctor was recovered in August 2024 from a closed room inside the hospital premises. The investigation was initially handled by the Kolkata Police before being transferred to the CBI following directions from the Calcutta High Court.

Questions regarding the CBI’s handling of the case have been raised by several quarters in recent months. The victim’s parents had also earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and direction of the investigation. Following the sentencing of convict Sanjay Roy, the victim’s father publicly criticised the investigating officer and referred to her as a “devil” outside the Sealdah court premises.

During his visit to the hospital, Gangopadhyay also pointed to a staircase inside the building and claimed that something heavy, possibly a body, had been lowered through that route on the night of the incident. He alleged that the staircase was not adequately examined during the investigation.

The BJP MP further accused the investigating officer of ignoring an important video allegedly recorded by a nurse after the incident. According to Gangopadhyay, the officer collected the video from the nurse and later instructed her to delete it. He claimed that the video was neither mentioned in the CBI’s report nor presented before the court during the trial proceedings.

Calling the officer “irresponsible”, Gangopadhyay demanded that Seema Pahuja herself be brought under investigation and added as an accused in the case for alleged destruction of evidence.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh