Kolkata rape, murder case: CBI takes over case, doctors’ body alleges ‘evidence tampering’ attempt | 10 updates

Hours after the Kolkata High Court's direction, the CBI on Tuesday took over the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at a state-run medical college in the West Bengal capital. Here are the top ten updates:

1. After taking the probe, CBI swiftly completed all formalities following the High Court order asking the state police to hand over the case documents to the central probe agency. According to the laid down procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR of the Kolkata Police. Whenever the CBI takes over a case from any state police, it starts with the registration of the police FIR as its own case, PTI reported.

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2. A team of CBI officials from Delhi along with forensic scientists and medical experts will visit Kolkata on Wednesday. The experts are likely to go through the autopsy report and analyse its videography, if any, besides visiting the crime scene where the body was found. 3. The agency may also visit the premises where the doctor resided. The agency will move the court concerned seeking its permission for the custody of the accused arrested by the Kolkata Police on Saturday.

3. The West Bengal Doctors' Forum wrote to the CBI on Tuesday, alleging that attempts were being made to tamper with evidence by carrying out construction work near the spot where the body of a female doctor was found at a Kolkata hospital. The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor with severe injury marks was found on Friday inside the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's chest department. The preliminary autopsy report suggested she was subjected to violent sexual assault.

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4. “We have come across reports of sudden civil reconstruction works in and around the scene of crime at the same institution. We are extremely apprehensive about the motive behind such an effort and we think that this might hamper the investigation by tampering with important evidence,” said the letter, signed by Dr Koushik Chaki and Dr Sanjoy Holme Chowdhury.

5. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday instructed vice-chancellors of state universities to bolster security measures on campus, PTI reported citing Raj Bhavan sources. During a virtual meeting, Bose emphasized that enhanced security should be provided for female students, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff.

6. At the meeting, where around 30 vice-chancellors were present, Bose expressed his displeasure over the incident and criticised the role of the Kolkata Police in handling the rape-murder case, the official said. “The governor held an emergency meeting with the vice-chancellors today and asked them to ensure protection to female students and women staffers immediately,” the source told PTI.

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7. PTI reported, Bose has described the rape and murder of the trainee woman doctor as a "crime against humanity". Bose, who had a meeting with agitating doctors, would hold another round of discussion with them on Wednesday, he said.

8. The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) announced the end of its strike regarding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, following the acceptance of their demands by the Union Health Minister. A FORDA delegation met with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda at his residence on Tuesday night.

9. OPD services in government hospitals of several states across the country remained affected on Tuesday as the resident doctors' strike over the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee in Kolkata entered its second day, even as the CBI took over the investigation in the case.

Also Read: Kolkata murder-rape case: HC asks RG Kar Medical College Principal to go on leave, says ’he shouldn’t be working…’

10. FORDA said the decision to end the strike will be effective from Wednesday morning. “A key outcome of the meeting was the health minister's agreement to form a committee with FORDA’s involvement to work on the Central Protection Act. The ministry has assured that work on this will begin within the next 15 days,” the resident doctors' body said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)