The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday (August 24, 2024) started the process of conducting polygraph tests on seven people, in connection with the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (MCH).
The tests will be conducted on the former principal of the medical college Sandip Kumar Ghosh, four doctors who had dinner with the victim hours before the crime, civic police volunteer Sanjay Roy who is the main accused, and another police volunteer believed to be close to him.
No substances are injected into the body for a polygraph test; instead, instruments are used to measure the blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing, sweat glands, and blood flow of the test subject while being questioned. The central agency, which has been investigating the crime since August 13 in accordance with a Calcutta High Court order, has taken permission from a Kolkata court to conduct the polygraph test. Experts from Delhi have arrived in Kolkata to conduct the physiological examination.
Corruption charges
In another development, the CBI’s anti corruption branch has registered an FIR against Mr. Ghosh, the former principal of R.G. Kar MCH, accusing him of financial irregularities. The FIR has been registered under Sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. On Saturday morning, the Kolkata police had handed over documents pertaining to the corruption case to the CBI, as the Calcutta High Court had directed the transfer of the case to the central agency on Friday.
The agitation against the rape and murder continued in Kolkata on Saturday, with residents and supporters of Left parties alike protesting in the city’s waterlogged streets, after a heavy downpour. Protest rallies were held in Jadavpur, Mullickbazar, Bidhan Sarani, and Tollygunge, among other areas of the city, with people from all walks of life participating. The BJP leadership continued with their protests at the Shyambazar five-point crossing, near the R.G. Kar MCH.
Senior officials of the State Health department met office-bearers of the R.G. Kar MCH and representatives of the agitating doctors. However, the resident doctors said that no solution had been found at the meeting, and that their strike would continue. Two companies of central armed police forces have been deployed at the R.G. Kar MCH, but resident doctors in other State-run hospitals have said that there are still gaps in their security.
Protest politics
With protests continuing to rage two weeks after the horrific crime, a political war of words has erupted over the show-cause notices issued to some educational institutions regarding their students’ participation in the agitation. Three schools in the Howrah district — the Baluhati High School, Baluhati Girls’ High School, and Bantra Rajlakshmi Girls School — were served show-cause notices on Friday and asked to give an explanation within 24 hours. Earlier, the School Education department in Paschim Medinipur district had issued a notice forbidding school students from taking part in any activities not related to their school or the department.
Several groups have called for a protest march to Nabanna, the State administrative headquarters, on August 27. The State’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that there is a “sinister ‘toolkit’ to deviate protestors from marching towards Nabanna”.
“Fake Facebook profiles are being created through civic volunteers under police stations of every district. These fake Facebook profiles are being accumulated to spread false news about the ‘Nabanna Abhijaan’ on August 27,” Mr. Adhikari said on social media.
The State’s ruling Trinamool Congress leadership refuted the allegations, with State Minister Firhad Hakim saying that the allegations that the government is using civic police volunteers to contain the social media narrative are misleading.
Published - August 24, 2024 12:48 pm IST
