The tragic death of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9 has drawn significant public and legal scrutiny. An audio recording of frantic calls made by the hospital staff to the doctor’s family on the day of her death has raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the case.
The calls, made by the Assistant Superintendent of the hospital, convey a sense of urgency and confusion. In the initial call, the staff member urgently requests the doctor’s family to come to the hospital, stating only that the daughter is “not well.” The father’s concern grows as he presses for more information, receiving vague and unsettling responses: “She is not well. We are admitting her. Can you come quickly?” and “The doctors will tell you what happened when you get here.”
In the second call, the staff member, sounding increasingly distressed, informs the family that the condition of their daughter is “very critical” but still provides no clear explanation of the situation. The father’s anxiety escalates as he demands further details, which are again deferred to the doctors at the hospital. “Her condition is very critical. Please come as soon as possible,” the staff member urges, but provides no clarity on the nature of the emergency.
The third and final call reveals the tragic outcome. The staff member, now extremely anxious, informs the family that “She might have committed suicide or died. The police are here.” The call was made in a state of panic, with the staff member expressing confusion and distress about the unfolding situation.
This sequence of events has raised grave concerns about how the hospital managed the emergency and communicated with the family. The family is now demanding comprehensive answers from the hospital authorities regarding the exact circumstances leading to their daughter’s death.
On August 10, a day after the discovery of the trainee doctor’s body, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer frequently seen around the RG Kar Hospital, was arrested by Kolkata Police. A Bluetooth device was found near the body and CCTV footage placing Roy on the third floor, where the seminar hall is located, led to his arrest. During interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Roy confessed to the crime.
Roy’s account of the events leading up to the murder provides a disturbing narrative. On August 8, Roy arrived at the hospital with a friend to inquire about the latter’s brother. After leaving the hospital around 11:15 PM, they consumed alcohol and visited Sonagachi, a red-light area in north Kolkata. Failing there, they proceeded to Chetla, another red-light district, where they molested a girl on the road. In Chetla, while his friend engaged in sexual activity with a woman, Roy remained outside, using his phone to video call his girlfriend.
Roy and his friend then returned to the hospital, where Roy went to the trauma center on the fourth floor. At 4:03 AM, CCTV footage captured Roy moving towards the corridor near the seminar hall on the third floor. He entered the seminar hall, where the victim was sleeping, and proceeded to assault her. Roy strangled and sexually assaulted the victim before fleeing the scene and visiting the house of his friend, Anupam Dutta, a Kolkata Police officer.
In response to the case, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 13. This decision came amid widespread protests in Kolkata and across the country, demanding justice for the deceased trainee doctor and urgent action in the case. The case has sparked significant public outcry and calls for accountability, highlighting the urgent need for thorough investigation and justice in such sensitive matters.
