Kolkata doctor murder case: TMC MP Sukehndu Sekhar Roy summoned by police for demanding questioning of police commissioner and former director of RG Kar in custody

RAF and police officials stand guard outside RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on August 16, 2024, after the facility was vandalised following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. | Image credit: ANI

Kolkata Police on Sunday (18 August 2024) issued a notice to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sukehndu Sekhar Roy over his post on X (formerly Twitter) demanding questioning of the police commissioner and former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in custody in connection with the investigation into the rape and murder of a doctor.

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Mr. Roy had said that the dog squad was sent only after three days, which police sources say is not true. The Rajya Sabha MP has been asked to appear before the Lalbazar police headquarters on Sunday (August 18, 2024).

Today, the veteran TMC leader wrote in a social media post, “The CBI must act fairly. Interrogation of the ex-director and police commissioner is a must to find out who circulated the suicide story and why.”

The police have also informed doctors who had revealed the identity of the victim. BJP leader Locket Chatterjee has also been summoned.

DYFI leader Meenakshi Mukherjee and other leaders of the CPIM's youth wing also received notices to this effect. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that DYFI flags were seen at the hospital when it was vandalised in the early hours of August 15.

The doctor's parents said they were informed by phone on the morning of August 9 that their daughter had committed suicide in the hospital where she worked.

Also read | CBI keen to know call details of former RG Kar Hospital director; interrogates him for third day

Calcutta Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said no one from the police called the parents and informed them that their daughter had committed suicide.

Sandip Ghosh, who was the principal of the medical college at the time of the crime, was questioned by the CBI for hours on Friday and Saturday.

The TMC Rajya Sabha MP also questioned the demolition work on the fourth floor of the government hospital, where the seminar hall was located where the crime took place, and asked who was the patron of Sanjay Roy, the volunteer arrested in connection with the rape and murder of the postgraduate intern at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

“Why is the sniffer dog being used after three days? Hundreds of such questions. Make them talk,” the MP asked the central agency to which the investigation was handed over by the Calcutta police on August 13 by the Calcutta High Court.

Read also | After doctors' protests, the central government asks the states to submit a situation report every two hours

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh contradicted Mr Roy's demands and claimed that the police commissioner had diligently done all necessary since the crime was reported.

“Be [Roy’s] “It is right to protest against the crime, but I vehemently reject his demands,” Mr Ghosh said.

The Congress party said it was commendable that Mr Roy had protested against alleged cover-ups of the gruesome crime.

“I thank Sukhendu Sekhar Roy for his stand despite belonging to the ruling party,” said Congress spokesperson Saumya Aich Roy.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the Left party had been making the same demands as Mr Roy for several days and said the TMC MP, as an experienced leader, was able to “read the signs of the times”.

(With inputs from PTI)