The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted a status report on the Kolkata doctor’s rape case to the Supreme Court. In its report, the CBI claimed that the crime scene had been changed and that the West Bengal police had initially told the parents that it was a case of suicide.

The Supreme Court was hearing a suo muto case concerning the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor-student in the seminar hall of RG Kar College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident took place on August 9. The parents claimed that they were informed in the morning that their daughter had committed suicide. They also claimed that they had to wait for three hours before the authorities allowed them to see their daughter. The body was reportedly found half-naked.

The Calcutta police handed over the case to the CBI.

What has the CBI investigation revealed so far?

1. Crime scene changed: The crime scene was altered when the CBI began its investigation on the fifth day, said Attorney General Tushar Mehta, who represented the CBI in the court. Advocate Kabil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, contradicted Tushar Mehta’s claim and said everything was videotaped and had not been altered.

2. The parents were initially told it was suicide: Mehta said the first complaint was filed after the cremation at 11.45pm. “Then they told the parents it was suicide, then death, and then friends of the doctor at the hospital insisted on video footage and that’s why they also suspected something was wrong,” he was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.

During the hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court asked the reason for the 14-hour delay in filing the FIR in the incident. Kapil Sibal said, “…it was the father of the deceased who did not allow the filing of the FIR.”

3. No gang rape? Sources told India Today that the CBI investigation does not suggest that the aspiring doctor was not a victim of gang rape. The investigation suggests that Sanjay Roy, a volunteer arrested for the crime, was the only person involved. Roy was arrested on August 10, a day after the body was found on the premises of RG Kar College and Hospital.

The DNA report also reportedly confirmed the involvement of one person. According to the India Today report, the forensic report suggested that the doctor was raped and killed by Roy. However, the CBI is yet to complete its investigation into the alleged involvement of others in the case.

What else happened in SC today

During the court hearing on Thursday, there was confusion over when the ‘unnatural death’ (UD) case was registered. The Supreme Court expressed surprise that the ‘autopsy was conducted before the UD case was registered’.

Justice Pardiwala asked when the body was sent for post-mortem, whether it was a case of unnatural death or not. “If it was not unnatural death, then what was the need for post-mortem? If you start post-mortem, it is a case of unnatural death. UD case 861 of 2024 registered at 11.30 pm and the FIR was registered at 11.45 pm. Is this entry correct?” asked the judge.

Sibal stated that the unnatural death case was registered at 1.45 pm. He told the court, “The post-mortem report and the seizure list contain the time and number of the UD case report. Even the investigation report mentions it. All this is mentioned in the case diary.”

The Supreme Court also questioned the West Bengal government on the role of Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College, in the alleged rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor in the seminar hall.