Ambiguities Cloud Timeline in Kolkata Rape-Murder Case
Kolkata Police and Victim’s Family Disagree on Key Case Details– 23-08-2024
Kolkata: On August 22, 2024, Kolkata Police presented a timeline in the Supreme Court detailing their investigation into the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor.
Despite Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal’s assertion that the police followed strict procedures, discrepancies have emerged between the police’s version, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) findings, and the claims made by the victim’s parents.
Chronology of Events:
August 9, 9:30 am: A first-year graduate trainee sees the victim’s body from a distance. He informs his colleagues and senior doctors, who alert hospital authorities.
10:10 am: Tala police station receives information about the incident from a police outpost at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The cops are told that the body of a woman is lying in an unconscious state on a wooden platform in a seminar room on the third floor of the emergency building. They are told that the body is in half-naked condition. The information is entered as a General Diary Entry and cops leave for the spot.
10:30 am: Police officers reach the crime scene and take stock. Senior officers are informed and crime scene is secured.
10:52 am: The Assistant Superintendent of the hospital of the hospital informs the victims’s family and asks them to come quickly.
11:00 am: Homicide team reaches the spot.
12:12 pm: On-duty doctor examines the victim and declares her dead.
01:00 pm: Parents of the victim reach the hospital, meet authorities and are taken to the seminar room after 10 minutes.
01:47 pm: The medical certificate and death certificate of the victim are handed over to the police. Police officer notes injuries on the body, including on private parts, and an unnatural death case is recorded.
03:00 pm: The victim’s family and colleagues demand an inquest and post-mortem in the presence of a Judicial Magistrate and under videography, first verbally and then in written form.
04:10 pm: Judicial Magistrate arrives, inquest carried out between 4:20 pm and 4:40 pm. The family and colleagues of the victim are present and the procedure is videographed.
06:10 pm- 7:10 pm: Post-mortem by a board of forensic doctors in the presence of the Judicial Magistrate. Family members and colleagues of the victim are present and the procedure is videographed.
08:00 pm: The dog squad reaches the spot. Between 8:37 pm and 8:52 pm: 3D mapping of the crime scene is carried out.
08:30 pm- 10:45 pm- 40 exhibits were seized by the forensic team, this was videographed and local witnesses were present. The body is handed over to the family after post-mortem.
11:45 pm: FIR registered based on the complaint by the victim’s father under charges of rape and murder.
Police have said the examination of suspects and questioning of the victim’s colleagues started on August 9. The next morning, at 10 am, the accused Sanjay Roy was arrested “after his prolonged examination and confession of guilt”. He is the only arrest so far in the case, which is now being investigated by the CBI after a Calcutta High Court order.
The Ambiguities:
Key Discrepancies
Confirmation of Death: The police timeline indicates the body was first spotted at 9:30 am, but a doctor did not confirm the death until 12:12 pm—nearly four hours later. During this time, police were informed that the woman was unconscious. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised concerns in the Supreme Court, arguing that it doesn’t require a doctor to ascertain whether a person is alive or dead.
The Suicide Angle: The victim’s parents told the Calcutta High Court that they received a call from the hospital at 10:53 am, informing them that their daughter was unwell. A second call at 11:15 am claimed she had died by suicide. However, the police timeline mentions only one call and makes no reference to suicide.
Were the Parents Made to Wait?: The victim’s parents allege in their petition that they were made to wait for three hours before being allowed to see their daughter’s body. The victim’s mother publicly stated that she pleaded with hospital authorities to let her see the body but was denied. In contrast, the police timeline suggests the parents were taken to the seminar room shortly after their arrival. The West Bengal government’s counsel also informed the high court that the parents were not kept waiting.
Delay in Filing FIR: Both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have questioned the delay in filing an FIR. Despite the discovery of the body, an unnatural death case was recorded, but no complaint was filed by hospital authorities to initiate an FIR. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud commented, “Procedure is a separate issue, but the point remains. What is the reason for the FIR being lodged almost 14 hours after the discovery of the (body). The most important thing is that the principal of the college should have come straightaway to the college and directed the filing of the FIR.”
The Crime Scene: According to the police timeline, the crime scene was secured at 10:30 am, an hour after the body was found. However, the CBI disputes this, stating that the crime scene was altered, complicating their investigation, which began five days later. The FIR was only registered after the victim’s cremation at 11:45 pm.
