The National Commission for Women (NCW) Inquiry Committee on Friday revealed that the site where the woman trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at a Kolkata government hospital underwent “sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence.”
The NCW’s findings also highlighted inadequate security, noting that no security guards were present at the time of the incident when post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The committee’s preliminary findings identified critical issues in the hospital’s security and infrastructure related to the case.
Inadequate Security: The Committee discovered that no security guards were present at the time of the incident. Additionally, there was insufficient security coverage for on-call duty interns, doctors, and nurses during night shifts, leaving the hospital vulnerable.
Poor Facilities: The hospital’s facilities were found to be lacking in essential amenities for female doctors and nurses. The washrooms were in poor condition, there were no adequate security measures in place, and lighting was inadequate, contributing to an unsafe environment.
Incomplete Investigation: The investigation into the case has been hampered by incomplete questioning of the former Principal, who resigned following the incident. The Committee has called for a thorough and expedited investigation into this matter.
Lack of Protection: They also found insufficient protection and safety measures for on-call female interns, nurses, and doctors.
Evidence Tampering: The committee report stated that the site where the deceased was allegedly raped and murdered is undergoing sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. The crime scene should have been sealed immediately by the state police.
The findings come after the Commission took suo motu cognizance of the incident.
The NCW formed a two-member Inquiry Committee, consisting of NCW member Delina Khondgup and advocate Soma Chaudhary from the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority. The Committee arrived in Kolkata on August 12 and has since been rigorously examining the circumstances surrounding the trainee doctor’s death.
Not Shielding Anyone: Kolkata Police Chief
Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal on Friday said that he also did not understand why rumours claiming his police department wanted to ‘hush up’ the case of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the city.
“I don’t see why it is being spread that we wanted to hush up the matter and finish it,” Goyal said while addressing reporters in Kolkata. The top cop even challenged critics by saying: “We are liable for legal action if anyone in our team has done anything wrong”.
He asserted that the force was not trying to shield anyone and it tried to be as transparent as possible in the probe into the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at a state-run hospital here.
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