7 mistakes in Kolkata doc rape-murder that could cost Mamata dear

Whatever the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s probe into the rape, torture and murder of a junior doctor in a Kolkata government hospital on August 9 reveals, the conduct of the West Bengal government and the Kolkata Police regarding the case is of serious concern. It also points to a larger systemic crisis in the state that can no longer be ignored.The mishandling has been at such a grand scale that on August 18 evening it even brought together the supporters of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan — two bitter rivals — who had gathered near Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium to protest against the incident. The first derby match of the season between the two teams was to be held on the eve of August 17 but was cancelled last minute in a bid to curb the protests from flaring. Supporters say the situation could have been easily handled with even half the personnel deployed given that the game has nothing to do with politics or the tempers that are raging because of the horrific incident that has brought medical services across the nation to a standstill. This was unfortunately not the only instance of its kind.Why was RG Kar principal removed from one post and appointed to another?Hours after Sandip Ghosh stepped down as the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 11 — where the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor took place — the West Bengal government appointed him as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH). Seen as close to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee — his sudden transfer only fueled further outrage against the state government.Moreover, Ghosh by then had been under scrutiny due to the growing public outcry and mounting accusations of mismanagement and financial irregularities at the government-run Kolkata institute. Reportedly, several students and even former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP and former spokesperson Shantanu Sen have alleged that the former principal ran the college through his coterie, with bribes being accepted for leaking questions and disposal of hospital waste. The same day he was transferred, a division bench of the Calcutta HC led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya ordered Ghosh to go on leave. The division bench also raised questions on the conduct of the authorities of the college and the urgency in which the state government transferred him. medium112648544Why were parents kept waiting before they could see the body?The CBI is at present questioning Ghosh — it is reportedly the longest interrogation session by CBI in any case in Bengal in the recent past. The marathon questioning — 23 hours and counting (till reports last came in) — began a day after CBI, led by joint director V Chandrasekhar, spoke to the parents of the deceased victim. The parents have alleged that their daughter “was under mental pressure and was reluctant to go to work”.The CBI, which was handed over the probe by the HC, interrogated Ghosh, on Monday, marking the fourth consecutive day he was summoned by the premier investigation agency. Among a host of questions, he was asked why he made the parents of the victim wait for over three hours at the hospital after they were informed about the tragedy, reported PTI. The ex-principal was also asked who had ordered the renovation of the rooms near the seminar hall at the emergency building of the hospital after the crime. medium nocaption112645683How Kolkata doctor’s rape-murder threatens Mamata’s grip on Bengal medium nocaption112645705Why was a murder case not lodged at the outset?Last week, Chief Justice Sivagnanam put the West Bengal government lawyer in a spot when he claimed that at first an “unnatural death case” was registered, as there was no immediate complaint of murder. The division bench railed against the lawyer, saying the body of the postgraduate trainee was not found on the roadside, and the superintendent or the principal of the hospital could have filed the complaint. Now questions are being asked whether the hospital authorities were being pressured by the state administration to suppress the facts. Questions are also being raised on who informed the family that the trainee doctor had died by suicide. medium112648571Mamata never trusted CBI, why did she then hand over the case to the agency?The Kolkata Police has been under fire for reportedly failing to disclose the postmortem findings. The autopsy, which revealed that the victim had been raped and murdered, was not adequately communicated to the family or the public, also fueling suspicions of a cover-up. Despite holding a press conference last week, the police has also still not provided further conclusive statements on the case, leading to misinformation and unauthorised disclosure of the victim’s details, say reports. For the city police to now lament that multiple ‘conspiracy theories’ are gaining ground is extraordinary as it is happening because the investigation has so far lacked transparency and credibility. While CM Mamata Banerjee may be praising the Kolkata Police now, her change of heart has not gone unnoticed. After all, it was she who wanted the CBI — an agency she has had one too many run-ins with in the past — to take over the case in the first place, oddly revealing her own lack of belief in her own police force and administration.Why such unholy haste to cremate the body? The father of the victim recently spoke out against Mamata Banerjee government’s “attempt to silence” those demanding justice for his daughter. He has, in fact, expressed dissatisfaction with the CM’s actions and refused to accept the compensation offered by the state government. The father also questioned the “immediate cremation” of his daughter following the autopsy, raising doubts about the possibility of evidence destruction.“CM is talking about providing justice and even took to the streets in solidarity. But why send common people demanding justice to jail? We are not satisfied with what CM is doing. We have refused to accept the compensation that was offered to us by the state government,” he told reporters. “There were three bodies awaiting final rites at the crematorium, but our daughter was cremated ahead of them. We were so upset and in a state of shock after losing our only child that we couldn’t think or act at the time,” he said. medium112645884Did vandalism at the hospital end up destroying evidence?Around midnight of August 14, a group of around 40 people, posing as protesters, reportedly entered the hospital, vandalising the emergency department, nursing station and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacking a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9.The vandalism took place amid widespread protests by women across the state in response to the “Reclaim the Night” campaign.Reacting to the incident, the Calcutta high court slammed the Bengal government, calling it an “absolute failure of state machinery” and a “sorry state of affairs”. The court also pulled up the state police and said that if it was not able to protect itself, “how can these doctors work fearlessly?”. It even demanded photographic proof of the safe condition of the seminar room at the hospital. What's more, allegations are being levelled that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to destroy evidence in the fourth-floor seminar hall where the crime occurred. From the medical fraternity to members in the opposition, all are accusing the state government of having a hand in it. 112645783Which head of state carries out her own protest?On August 16, Mamata led a rally in Kolkata protesting the incident, calling for justice for the victim and demanding the death penalty for the perpetrators. Hundreds of TMC women-wing members also accompanied her in the rally which started from Moulali and ended at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala, Kolkata. The protest drew so much criticism that the party itself had to offer a clarification. Party member Derek O’Brien wrote on X: "'Why is @MamataOfficial leading a rally on the RG Kar Hospital incident”? Fair question. Because: CBI, which is now handling the case, must give daily updates on the investigation. The deadline given by the CM to Kolkata Police to complete the investigation was August 17. The same must apply to CBI. Kolkata Police has arrested one accused. Justice will happen only when CBI nabs ALL involved and sends case to a fast-track court." One of the most poignant criticisms against Mamata’s protest came from actor-turned-politician Chirag Paswan who said. “If you take to the streets as the chief minister, are you assuring the public of justice or are you creating an atmosphere of fear among them? This shows Mamata Banerjee's weakness as a chief minister, if the chief minister of a state goes to the streets against her own government, her own administration, then it shows their weakness. This shows that perhaps the machinery of your state is not under your control and that is why there is an atmosphere of anarchy in a state like Bengal.” Who can disagree with that.