Calcutta:
The parents of a Kolkata doctor who was brutally raped and murdered last month have alleged that the police initially wanted to suppress the case. The incident took place while the doctor was on night duty and has led to massive protests in the state demanding swift action.
The 31-year-old's parents joined the protest outside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where their daughter's body was found on August 9. They accused the police of trying to close the case without a proper investigation.
“The police tried to hush up the case from the beginning. We were not allowed to see the body and had to wait at the police station while the body was taken for autopsy,” the father said while addressing the protesters.
“When the body was later handed over to us, a senior police officer offered us money, but we immediately declined,” he added.
The parents said they are joining the protest to support the young doctors fighting for justice for their daughter.
Kolkata police has been heavily criticized by the opposition and citizens for the way they handled the sensitive case. Questions have been raised as to how the accused Sanjoy Roy had unrestricted access to every corner of the government hospital at all times of the day. Some reports also suggest that he illegally arranged hospital beds and other facilities for patients in exchange for money.
Slogans targeting officers, reminding them that they have daughters at home too, are circulating on social media and are carried by protesters’ placards during street protests.
Amid outrage, the Calcutta High Court ordered that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On Monday, the CBI arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College, Dr Sandip Ghosh, in connection with alleged financial misconduct at the institution.
The West Bengal Assembly this week also passed an anti-rape bill, which calls for the death penalty for rape convicts if their actions result in the death of the victim or leave her in a vegetative state.
