‘Return To Pujo’: CM Mamata Banerjee Faces Heat For Festive Call Out Amid Protests

A persistent angst has spread across the country since the case of a post-graduate trainee doctor who was reportedly raped and murdered on August 9 at her workplace, RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata. Amid the ongoing legal proceedings and widespread protests, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 'indifference' to the issue has triggered a backlash. The Trinamool Congress leader reportedly called for a 'return to pujo' appeal urging to shift their focus back to Durga Puja celebrations.

West Bengal Chief Minister Wants Situation To "Go Back To Normal"

According to the Press Trust of India, Mamata Banerjee said, "It has been a month since the incident. I request everyone to return to the festivities and let the CBI ensure justice as soon as possible... If you are out protesting on the roads every night, a lot of people get disturbed. Several areas have elderly people. There are pollution control norms that you cannot use microphones after 10 p.m."

The Chief Minister added, "The woman who was raped and murdered must get justice. Please ensure justice by a fast-track court. Bengal is being defamed across the world. There are WhatsApp groups. People who studied here, ate here and then went outside are now defaming Bengal."

The CM's remarks drew criticism from the public. The victim's parents reacted, "We celebrated Durga Puja with our daughter, we will not celebrate Durga Puja or any other festival for years to come. Her (CM's) remarks are insensitive," they reportedly said. "What about our festivities when we have lost our daughter? Let her bring our daughter back. Would she have said the same if this had happened in her family?"

On September 3, the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed an 'anti-rape bill' called Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, promising stricter punishments for convicts in sexual violence cases. The bill prescribes the death penalty in the case where a victim is killed or left in a vegetative state. 

Kolkata Rape-Murder: Autopsy Reveals Gruesome Details

The woman, a second-year post-graduate student of respiratory medicine, was found dead, semi-nude at around 7:30 am on August 9. While the hospital authorities allegedly ruled it a case of suicide, the PGTs, interns, house staff, and MBBS students did not let the body be taken for autopsy until their conditions were met.

"We could smell the rat when the college authority tried to discard it as a case of suicide whereas there are all tell-tale signs of sexual abuse and murder. We will not rest till we are convinced that the right kind of inquiry and autopsy is conducted,” a PGT told the Times of India. The protestors finally let the body be taken for post-mortem about 10 hours later.

The four-page autopsy report detailed that the woman was subjected to "genital torture" and was found with blood on her private parts and injury marks on her body. The Press Trust of India quoted the report, "There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth, injuries over the face, and a nail. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries in her belly, left leg, neck, in her right hand, ring finger, and lips." 

The incident reportedly happened between 3 am and 6 am. A Kolkata Police officer told the news agency, "Her neck bone was also found broken. It seems that she was first strangled and then smothered to death." A doctor at the hospital told PTI, "She had dinner with her juniors around 2 am She then went to the seminar room since there is no separate on-call room to take some rest. In the morning, we found her body there.”

Parents Demand Justice

The deceased woman's parents, who were initially told by the hospital authorities that she had died by suicide, reportedly demanded the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. In their petition, they cited the disturbing details from the autopsy that showed clear signs of sexual assault. The petition added that the autopsy found 150 mg of semen in the victim's body, "a quantity suggesting the involvement of more than one individual, further corroborated the suspicion of gang rape".

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court directed the central agency to take over the case ahead of the CM's deadline. The HC bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya added that the police investigation hasn't been able to bring in any significant progress and has also pointed towards the possibility of the evidence of the incident being destroyed. The Supreme Court of India took suo-moto cognisance of the case on August 20.

RG Kar Then-Principal Arrested

The former principal of RG Kar, Dr Sandip Ghosh, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on September 2 for his alleged involvement in financial misconduct at the institution. Following his arrest, two vendors, Biplav Singha and Sumon Hazra, as well as a hospital security guard, Afsar Ali Khan, were also arrested. On August 23, the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to probe alleged financial irregularities at the hospital amid investigations in the rape-murder case. 

Who Is Sanjay Roy: Accused?

According to reports, Sanjay Roy was suspected after a Bluetooth headphone was recovered from the crime scene. He was arrested immediately after the investigators found the device connected to his phone. Moreover, CCTV footage showed him at the spot of the crime at the likely time of occurrence. The police are also investigating if anyone else was involved in the crime. The suspect, an outsider, had free access to the different departments of the hospital, he said.

City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said, "After committing the crime, the accused went back to the place where he was staying and slept till late on Friday (August 9) morning. After waking up, he washed the clothes he was wearing during the crime to destroy evidence. His shoes, with blood stains on them, were found during a search." According to reports, Roy admitted to the crime immediately after the arrest and said, "Hang me if you want". His mobile phone was also reportedly found full of pornographic material.

Sanjay Roy, who was reportedly married twice, was a 'habitual offender' who was accused of domestic violence by all his ex-wives. He was also allegedly involved in a hospital racket that took bribes from relatives of patients to get them admitted. He also charged relatives of patients, promising them that he would secure them a bed at nearby nursing homes in case the hospital beds were not available. 

The suspect was a civic servant with the Kolkata Police's welfare board. He joined the police as a volunteer in the disaster management group in 2019 but was later transferred to the police welfare cell. Despite not being a police officer, the contractual volunteer used his contacts to stay at the police barracks at times. He introduced himself as a Kolkata Police personnel. He also had a 'KP' tag on his bike and a t-shirt he often wore.