The Kolkata rape-murder case of a 31-year-old female doctor has sparked outrage across the country. Protests are happening everywhere, demanding justice. Kolkata Police recently presented a detailed timeline of events and their actions in the Supreme Court. However, this information has raised many questions. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal emphasized that the city police followed the proper process, but there are discrepancies between the police’s actions and what the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the victim’s parents stated in their petitions. Here’s a look at what the Kolkata Police said and the unanswered questions.
What Happened in the Kolkata Rape-Murder Case? A Timeline:
August 9, 9:30 AM:
A first-year trainee saw the victim’s body from a distance. He informed his colleagues and senior doctors, who then informed the hospital authorities.
10:10 AM:
The police station received information from the police outpost at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The police were told that a woman’s body was lying on a wooden platform in a seminar room on the third floor of the emergency department. The body was described as being partially naked. The police then headed to the scene.
10:30 AM:
Police officers arrived at the scene, assessed the situation, informed senior officers, and secured the area.
10:52 AM:
The hospital’s assistant superintendent informed the victim’s family and asked them to come quickly.
11:00 AM:
More police teams arrived at the scene.
12:25 PM:
A photographer and videographer from the detective department’s scientific wing arrived. The first photo of the body was taken at 12:29 PM. Fingerprint and footprint experts, along with several senior officers from Kolkata Police, also arrived. The forensic team was called in.
12:44 PM:
The doctor on duty examined the victim and declared her dead.
1:00 PM:
The victim’s parents arrived at the hospital, met with officials, and were taken to the seminar room 10 minutes later.
1:47 PM:
The victim’s medical certificate and death certificate were handed over to the police. The police officer noticed injuries on the body, including private parts, and registered a case of unnatural death.
3:00 PM:
The victim’s family and colleagues requested an investigation and post-mortem in the presence of a judicial magistrate, which was recorded on video.
4:10 PM:
The judicial magistrate arrived, and the investigation was conducted between 4:20 and 4:40 PM. The victim’s family and colleagues were present, and the entire process was recorded on video.
6:10 PM – 7:10 PM:
The post-mortem was conducted by a board of forensic doctors in the presence of the judicial magistrate. The victim’s family members and colleagues were present, and the process was recorded on video.
8:00 PM:
A dog squad arrived at the crime scene.
8:37 PM – 8:52 PM:
3D mapping of the crime scene was done.
8:30 PM – 10:45 PM:
The forensic team seized 40 pieces of evidence, which were recorded on video, with local witnesses present. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family.
11:45 PM:
An FIR was registered based on the complaint of the victim’s father, with charges of rape and murder.
Suspect Arrest:
The police said that investigations of suspects and questioning of the victim’s colleagues began on August 9. The next morning, at 10:00 AM, Sanjay Roy, the only suspect arrested so far, was taken into custody after a long interrogation. The CBI is now investigating the case following an order from the Calcutta High Court.
Key Questions in the Kolkata Rape-Murder Case:
Confirmation of Death:
According to the police timeline, the body was first spotted at 9:30 AM, but the duty doctor confirmed the death only at 12:44 PM—three hours later. This delay raises significant questions. When the local police station was informed, they were told that an unconscious woman was found. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned in the Supreme Court whether a doctor was even needed to determine that it was a dead body.
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. At 11:15 AM, they got another call saying that their daughter had committed suicide. The Kolkata Police timeline only mentions one call and makes no mention of suicide.
Did the Parents Have to Wait?:
In their petition to the High Court, the victim’s parents said they were made to wait for three hours before being allowed to see the body. The victim’s mother told the media that she begged the hospital authorities to see her daughter’s body but to no avail. However, according to the police timeline, the parents were taken to the seminar hall shortly after arriving at the hospital. The West Bengal government’s lawyer also told the court that the parents were not made to wait.
Delay in Filing the FIR:
Both the High Court and Supreme Court questioned why only an unnatural death case was registered. Why didn’t the hospital officials file a complaint to initiate an FIR? Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said yesterday, “The process is a separate issue, but the main issue remains. What was the reason for filing the FIR almost 14 hours after the body was found? Most importantly, the college principal should have immediately gone to the college and ordered the FIR to be filed.”
Crime Scene:
According to the police timeline, the crime scene was secured at 10:30 AM, one hour after the body was first discovered. Despite the vandalism by a crowd at the hospital on the morning of August 15, Kolkata Police claimed that the crime scene was secured. However, the CBI disputed this. During the Supreme Court hearing yesterday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “We started the investigation on the fifth day… The investigation itself was a challenge because the crime scene had been altered. The FIR was registered at 11:45 PM after the cremation.”