Her Nature of Injuries Suggest Multiple Offenders: Abhaya's Lawyer on Kolkata Doctor-Rape Murder

New Delhi: After the Supreme Court on Tuesday established a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to ensure the safety and well-being of medical professionals, the task force will develop recommendations to prevent violence and improve conditions following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Republic TV spoke exclusively with the victim's lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday established a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to create a national protocol aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of medical professionals while hearing a case on the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. Following this, Republic TV spoke exclusively to the victim's lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya where he criticised the investigation's handling. 

He noted delays in filing the FIR and questioned the promptness of the investigation. Bhattacharya also raised concerns about the role of the Principal at the medical college, questioning why a complaint was not lodged sooner. The CBI has been directed to submit its report by August 22, which will provide further details on the investigation's progress.

Abhaya's lawyer, Bhattacharya, said, “There have been delays on the part of the investigative agency; they shouldn't have waited so long to file an FIR. The way investigation was carried out was not according to the promptness which was deserving in this case. The role of the Principal is also under question. What was the Principal doing at that time? Why did he not lodge a complaint? These issues are now being investigated by the CBI, which has been directed to file its report by Thursday (August 22). We will then know how far the CBI has progressed in the investigation.”

When asked about the doctor's murder being covered up as a suicide in the beginning, Bhattacharya said, “First of all, a working doctor was murdered in the hospital. It was the fundamental duty of the hospital authorities to take prompt action to lodge an FIR and take appropriate action, which they did not do. This is the basic foundation of all suspicion. Now that the CBI has conducted its investigation, many issues are emerging. As grieving parents, we feel that she was killed while she was on duty, and the failure of the administration cannot be covered up like this. The authorities, instead of addressing the protests by doctors, attempted to suppress the investigation.”

Regarding the cover-up and the hasty cremation, Bhattacharya said, "The CBI was brought in because the Calcutta police did not perform their duties in a timely manner."

Speaking about the vandalism at the hospital, Bhattacharya said, "This was already an observation on record. The Supreme Court has taken note of the administration's failure and has directed that the hospital's security be handed over to central agencies. This speaks for itself."

On what should be done to ensure justice, Bhattacharya said, "As citizens, we would like to see that the guilty are brought to justice. If those responsible are detected and punished according to the law, it will serve as a deterrent for the future."

Regarding the possibility of multiple individuals being involved, Bhattacharya stated, "That's our apprehension. The nature of the injuries inflicted could not have been caused by a single person. This is our primary suspicion, and we are seeking justice through a proper investigation. Let’s wait and see how the investigation unfolds."