Lagatar24 Desk
Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has told a Kolkata court that there may be a nexus between Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College, and Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station, in connection with the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor. The allegation comes after both individuals were arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence in the high-profile case that has shocked the nation.
Presented before the court on Saturday, Dr. Ghosh and Mr. Mondal have been remanded to CBI custody for two days. The next hearing is scheduled for September 17. The CBI’s counsel stated, “The FIR was registered at night. We have call records showing communication between the OC and Sandip Ghosh. There may be a nexus, and we need to uncover the case. We want to confront both of them.”
Emphasizing the seriousness of the matter, the counsel added, “There is no clash between CBI and police. We want to get to the truth. For us, he is not a police officer; he is a suspect.”
Both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have questioned the 14-hour delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) after the doctor’s body was discovered. The courts have asked why the hospital administration, led by Dr. Ghosh at the time, did not promptly file a police complaint to initiate the FIR process.
“He was under an obligation to register the FIR. They tried to downplay it as a suicide. There was a lapse on his part. It was a case of sexual assault, and he should have handled it cautiously. He was in a conspiracy with other people,” the CBI told the court.
Defending himself, Mr. Mondal’s lawyer argued, “They allege there was a delay. They don’t say whether I am an accused or a witness. There is no ground for arrest here. This is, at best, a case of alleged dereliction of duty. For that, a departmental inquiry could have been done.”
The CBI clarified that while Mr. Mondal is not directly accused in the rape and murder, he may have been involved in a larger conspiracy to cover up the incident.
These arrests mark the first by the CBI in their month-long investigation into the tragic case. Previously, the Kolkata Police had arrested Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, who was later taken into CBI custody after the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the central agency.
The ruling Trinamool Congress, facing criticism over the incident, has questioned the progress made by the CBI since taking over the investigation.
