Kolkata rape-murder: Was the trainee doctor gang-raped at RG Kar Medical College?

Horrific details continue to come to light as the investigation continues into the death of a trainee doctor at a government-run hospital last week in West Bengal’s Kolkata.

The post-mortem report, submitted at the Calcutta High Court, detected a significant amount of fluid — likely semen — in the 31-year-old doctor’s body, suggesting gangrape.

Here’s what the report says.

A significant amount of semen found in the body

Dr Subarna Goswami, the additional general secretary of the All India Federation of Government Doctors’ Association, told India Today that the post-mortem report mentioned 151 mg of liquid from the vaginal swab, indicating that the victim could have been brutalised by more than one person, further corroborated the suspicion of “gangrape.”

“That quantity cannot be of one person. It suggests the involvement of multiple people,” he said.

According to media reports, the victim’s family also said in their petition that the post-mortem report had unequivocally stated that the cause of death was strangulation of their daughter’s neck and that there were clear signs of sexual assault.

“Petitioners state that the post-mortem report provided devastating details that confirmed their worst fears. Their daughter’s body bore several injury marks, indicating a brutal and violent attack,” said the petition, accessed by NDTV.

This has sparked nationwide outrage and protests by associations of medical professionals in several states.

“The nature of injuries and force used cannot be the handiwork of one person,” Dr Goswami further told India Today.

Injuries on body

(Trigger warning: Please note that the report contains graphical details of the murder, which could be distressing to some. Reader discretion is advised.)

The trainee doctor was throttled before being smothered to death, according to the post-mortem report.

The four-page report said that “perverted sexuality” and “genital torture” were responsible for the wounds on her privates.

It also said bite marks were found on her neck, underscoring the severity of the assault, as per NDTV.

According to the report, she also suffered a severe hit that broke off pieces of glass from her spectacles and got into her eyes.

The accused banged the deceased’s head against the wall, resulting in head injuries that were also reported, as per News18.

“There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth, injuries on the face, and a nail. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries to her belly, left leg, neck, in her right hand, ring finger, and lips,” the report stated, as per another report by India Today.

The accused’s fingernails are believed to have caused scratch scars on the woman’s face, suggesting that the victim attempted to defend herself.

“The mouth and throat were constantly pressed to prevent screaming. The throat was strangled to suffocate. The thyroid cartilage broke due to strangling,” the post-mortem report said.

The trainee doctor’s family members also disclosed the appalling state in which her body was discovered.

“Her legs were 90 degrees apart… This cannot happen unless the pelvic girdle breaks, which means she was torn apart,” a relative said, as per India Today.

Case transferred to CBI

Officials from the CBI have taken over the case per yesterday’s ruling from the Calcutta High Court, and the accused, Sanjoy Roy, is currently under the agency’s custody, according to NDTV. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer who frequently visited the hospital, had been arrested by state police prior to the matter being turned over to the CBI.

The CBI team is divided into three groups, which include forensic and medical experts. A third would work with Kolkata Police officers who were looking into the case, one will visit the seminar hall where the doctor’s body was discovered, and another will take the accused to court and seek custody.

The high court took a harsh stance against the hospital’s management, particularly its
former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh, when directing that the investigation be turned over to the CBI.

The hospital administration was questioned by the court for failing to report the doctor’s death to the police. The state government was also criticised over Dr Ghosh’s appointment as principal of another medical college just hours after his resignation as RG Kar Medical College’s head.

“No step taken to arrest any other offenders while the evidence clearly indicates that their daughter was the victim of a gang rape and murder, a crime that could not have been committed by one person alone,” the parents’ petition said, as per the news channel.

The victim’s parents further emphasised that they have not yet been able to arrest the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and other relevant parties who were in charge of ensuring the victim’s safety while on the property.

In their petition, the victim’s parents have also said, “They have come to learn through reliable sources that evidence exists on record suggesting that at least three individuals were involved in the strangulation of their daughter. The significant amount of semen found in her body further supports the involvement of multiple perpetrators.”

They further claimed that the autopsy was performed hurriedly.

“The improper autopsy was done with a view to shield the others involved in their daughter’s death,” they said in the petition.

The case

On Friday, August 9, a female PGT doctor who was a second-year student in the department of chest medicine was discovered semi-naked inside the lecture hall at RG Kar Hall Medical College and Hospital.

Her body was covered with various marks from injuries.

She was on duty on Thursday.

Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh resigned from his position and government employment yesterday due to pressure following the rape and killing of the resident doctor.

“I am getting defamed on social media. It is not good. The deceased doctor was like my daughter. As a parent, I resign. I don’t like that this should happen to anyone in future,” he was quoted by ANI as saying.

Dr Ghosh was then appointed principal of another medical college in Kolkata in less than four hours, as per NDTV.

The city’s Calcutta National Medical College students are against this move and have questioned how a principal who can’t even guarantee safety on one campus can be successful on another.

Furthermore, the principal’s office doors have been closed by the students, who claim they will not allow him to report for duty.

The resignation of Ghosh was announced the day after the West Bengal government dismissed Sanjay Vashisth, the medical superintendent who also served as vice principal.

Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, the dean of student affairs, took over as superintendent and was given extra responsibilities.