Is the death of the doctor from Calcutta a cover-up of institutional secrets?

A 31-year-old postgraduate doctor (PGT) at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was found dead in circumstances that have raised several disturbing questions. Her parents and colleagues have expressed fears that her death, officially reported as rape and murder, may have been staged to silence her for exposing certain “secrets” within the institution. The only person arrested so far, volunteer Sanjoy Roy, is seen by some as a mere scapegoat as the real perpetrators are believed to be at large.

“The arrested woman is not the main perpetrator; it was an inside job,” claims the mother of the rape victim from Calcutta

According to information from the doctor's personal diary and from her parents, she was under considerable stress and pressure in the weeks before her death. As a second-year student, she had already endured the grueling demands of medical training, which typically involves 36-hour shifts. However, the sudden increase in stress levels, as recorded in her diary, has raised questions among her colleagues about the underlying cause. “We suspect this was not a simple case of rape and murder or a random victim. She was the target,” claimed a colleague, questioning how Roy knew she was alone in the seminar room at the time of the incident.

There are unconfirmed claims by her colleagues that the doctor may have been trying to uncover a drug scam in her department, which could have put her in danger. “There are rumors about a possible drug scam in her department that she was trying to uncover. We have reason to suspect this as she was an upstanding person,” a colleague explained. The culture of “punishing overwork” allegedly established under the previous hospital management is also under scrutiny. This alleged practice included assigning excessive work to those who did not adhere to certain institutional policies as a control measure.

The doctor, described by colleagues as hardworking and determined, had always had a desire to study medicine even after passing the entrance exams for engineering. She was reportedly elated when she got a seat to study pulmonology at RG Kar Medical College. On the day of her death, her parents informed the police that she had mentioned being under immense work pressure. Diary entries also suggest that she had recently started documenting her thoughts and that some colleagues were overwhelming her with work.

Before the investigation was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the victim's parents reportedly hinted that their daughter may have discovered something in her department that she should not have known. In light of these revelations, many in the hospital community are demanding a more thorough investigation, especially into the hospital's internal practices, fearing that anyone who speaks out against irregularities will face severe consequences.