New Delhi: The granting of bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the then officer-in-charge of Tala police station, in connection with the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor, has left the victim’s family reeling with disappointment and anger.
The parents of the deceased doctor expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI investigation and the court’s decision to release the two key suspects on bail. They voiced their concerns, stating that the bail order, coming after the CBI failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 90-day period, left them feeling betrayed by a system designed to protect them.
The mother of the victim poignantly stated, “We thought the CBI would speed up the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us.”
“Every day, we wonder if this will be another case in which the powerful escape without punishment,” she added.
The additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Sealdah court, based its decision on the CBI’s failure to meet the deadline for filing chargesheets. While Mondal’s lawyer confirmed his client’s imminent release from judicial remand, Ghosh will remain incarcerated due to a separate arrest by the CBI’s anti-corruption branch related to financial irregularities during his tenure as principal.
The case, which began with the discovery of the doctor’s body in the hospital’s seminar room on August 9th, sparked widespread outrage and a significant amount of media attention. Ghosh and Mondal were arrested on charges of obstructing the investigation, particularly regarding the significant delay in filing the initial FIR. The initial delay in filing the report is a critical point of contention, bringing the functioning of the hospital and the state’s health system under scrutiny.
The investigation, initially handled by the Kolkata police, was transferred to the CBI after allegations of evidence tampering and cover-up. The CBI’s own findings expressed doubts regarding the statements given by Ghosh. The inconsistencies between Ghosh’s account of when he learned about the incident and the account provided by his driver only serve to heighten suspicions.
The tragic case of the young doctor’s murder has had extensive repercussions, fueling massive protests, prompting intense scrutiny from both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, igniting allegations of a larger conspiracy, leading to the passage of a new state anti-rape law, and causing bitter political debate.
