Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today scrutinized the events that unfolded at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the day the body of a 31-year-old doctor was discovered, revealing numerous discrepancies in the investigation into her brutal rape and murder. The apex court raised serious questions about the timeline of events, particularly the significant delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and the sealing of the crime scene.
The hearing, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, focused on three critical aspects: the time lag between the discovery of the body and the lodging of the FIR, the classification of the death as “unnatural” even after a postmortem was conducted, and the delay in sealing the crime scene.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), initiated the discussion by highlighting inconsistencies in the timeline presented by the West Bengal government. He expressed his surprise that the FIR was filed at 11:45 PM, long after the cremation of the victim’s body.
Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned the prolonged delay, pointing out that while the police recorded a General Diary entry at 10:10 AM, they only sealed the crime scene at 10:10 PM. “What was happening during all that time?” he asked.
The court further probed the postmortem process, which was completed by 7:10 PM, yet the complaint of unnatural death was not filed until 11:30 PM. Justice JB Pardiwala questioned the necessity of an autopsy if the death was already deemed unnatural. He expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication from the state, urging for transparency and accuracy.
Justice Manoj Mishra joined in, questioning how the police could file an FIR for unnatural death hours after the postmortem had been completed. When the state clarified that the unnatural death was first recorded in the General Diary at 1:45 PM and the investigation began at 3:45 PM, Justice Pardiwala criticized the handling of the case, stating, “I have never seen such an investigation in my 30 years of legal career.”
The court’s focus shifted back to the delayed filing of the FIR after the recess. Justice Chandrachud expressed disbelief at the 14-hour gap between the recovery of the body at 9:30 AM and the filing of the FIR at 11:30 PM. “I can’t find any reason for it,” he remarked.
The court also questioned why the Principal of the hospital did not lodge the FIR and why he was transferred to another hospital shortly after the incident. Former Principal Sandip Ghosh, who has been questioned daily by the CBI, has yet to provide satisfactory answers to the agency’s inquiries.
The CBI has submitted a status report on its investigation to the Supreme Court, though the details remain undisclosed. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on September 5.
