RG Kar hospital case: Calcutta HC transfers vandalism probe from Kolkata Police to CBI
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday transferred the probe of vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital premises on the night of August 14 at the midnight from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya observed that the vandalism incident at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata prima facie appeared to be planned and it was absolute failure of state machinery and directed the CBI to visit hospital premises and conduct investigation as it deems fit.
The High Court directed the CBI to file interim report as progress with regard to matter and also directed appropriate police authorities as well as person in-charge to file reply related to vandalism and all matters connected to it.
The court, which earlier transferred the investigation into the brutal sexual assault and murder of a female doctor to the CBI, was hearing pleas seeking restricted access to crime scene and installation of CCTV cameras at the RG Kar medical college and hospital.
The state police submitted before the court that it had taken effective steps to prevent the mob 7000 people entered and the gathering was so large it led to a chaotic situation. It further said that several police personnel were also injured and that the place of occurrence has been intact.
“If 7000 people had to come, they cannot come walking…this is absolute failure of state machinery,” the bench asked during the hearing and added, “Sorry state of affairs…how can doctors work without fear?”
The body of a woman doctor, a second-year PG medical student, was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital last week and the preliminary autopsy indicated that she was sexually assaulted before her murder.
The High Court on Tuesday transferred the probe of the incident from the Kolkata Police to the CBI. The High Court order came on a bunch of plea, including the parents of the victim, seeking transfer of the probe into the incident to an independent body.
