1. Mamata Banerjee warned police to solve the trainee doctor’s rape-murder case by August 18.
2. She threatened to transfer the case to the CBI if the police failed to resolve it.
3. Protests continue over the incident at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Kolkata, Aug 12: Amid ongoing protests over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a stern warning to the police on Monday.
She announced that the case would be handed over to the CBI if the police fail to solve it by Sunday, August 18.
Describing the incident as “extremely painful” and “shocking,” Banerjee noted that the victim’s parents suspect that an insider might be involved in the crime, apart from the main accused.
“I have instructed the police to investigate anyone under suspicion, including the victim’s friends and others,” she stated.
Banerjee added that a dog squad, video department, and forensic team have been deployed for the investigation. She emphasized that if Kolkata Police is unable to solve the case by the deadline, it will be transferred to the CBI.
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Banerjee also called for fast-tracking the case to ensure a swift judicial process, expressing her shock that the crime occurred despite the presence of nurses and security personnel in the hospital.
In response to the incident, the principal, Head of Department, Medical Superintendent cum Vice Principal (MSVP), and the ASP of the hospital have been removed from their positions.
The trainee doctor was found on August 9 in a seminar hall at the hospital with injury marks on her body. An autopsy confirmed that she was raped before being murdered. The accused, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested on August 10 and has been remanded to 14-day police custody.
Although Roy was not officially associated with RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, he was known to frequent the premises.
Meanwhile, four petitions have been filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the case, with the court set to hear the matter on Tuesday, August 13.
Banerjee had earlier stated that the accused would face the death penalty if necessary and urged for the case to be directed to a fast-track court to provide the victim’s family with speedy justice.
In response to the incident, thousands of doctors and post-graduate students across the country held strikes in protest.
The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of Delhi’s AIIMS put forward six demands, including a CBI inquiry, strict action against the culprits, and adequate compensation for the victim’s family.