Kolkata doctor rape case: ‘Curtains used to cordon off seminar hall…’, say police; evidence tampering claim denied

Kolkata doctor rape case: The Kolkata Police on Monday clarified that the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the dead body of a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found, had been cordoned off with ‘hospital curtains’. The police also denied the evidence tampering allegations that surfaced after renovation work started at RG Kar hospital only a day after the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder took place.

Kolkata Police DC CD Indira Mukherjee addressed a press conference on Monday. “The place of occurrence which is known to us is basically the seminar hall of RG Kar (Hospital) on the third floor. Social media and some news channels have shown a particular video where it is shown that there are a few people standing. It has been told that there has been tampering of the evidence. This is the allegation,” she told the media.

"Let me clarify, that seminar hall is a room which is 51 ft by 32 ft and when the body was found, the hospital curtains were used to cordon off the area,” Mukherjee added.

The CBI on Monday started a second round of polygraph tests on former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and five others as part of its investigation into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the institution.

According to an officer, over the last 10 days, Ghosh provided inconsistent answers during questioning, prompting officers to conduct another round of polygraph tests.

The case centres on the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee woman doctor in the seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day.

Durga Puja Committees rejects Mamata govt's money

At least six out of nearly 40,000 Durga Puja committees in West Bengal have so far rejected the ₹85,000 honorarium offered by the Mamata Banerjee government, saying they cannot accept the assistance when women have taken to the streets demanding security.

Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in West Bengal, where people worship the Hindu deity Goddess Durga.