TMC and Victim's Family Clash Over Allegations of Police Cover-Up in Kolkata Medic Case

The TMC on Thursday denied allegations of a police cover-up by the parents of a woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered. They insisted that a new video contradicts these claims, showing the family previously satisfied with the investigation. The family quickly responded, asserting that the video was forcibly recorded by the police just after the cremation.

The family members of the deceased medic, who joined protesting doctors at RG Kar hospital on Wednesday night, accused Kolkata Police of attempting to suppress the case by hastily cremating the body. In response to these allegations, senior TMC leader and minister Shashi Panja stated that a new video of the parents claimed such allegations were false.

Video Controversy

"A video went viral yesterday where it is claimed that a police official offered money to the parents in the aftermath of the incident. Another video has appeared in the public domain, where the parents clearly stated that such claims are lies and they only want justice for their daughter," Panja said. The authenticity of this video could not be independently verified.

During a press conference at the TMC office, this video was played, showing the parents saying they were never offered money. "We cannot imagine the pain of the grieving parents. The incident is extremely unfortunate and saddening, and we have all been demanding justice for the victim. But there shouldn't be politics here. We want to humbly appeal that there should be no political pressure on the parents to do anything," Panja added.

Within an hour, speaking to a Bengali news channel, the family claimed that the video was shot forcibly by police days after the incident. "The video was shot by the police just days after the incident took place and we were forced to participate. The truth is that the police tried to hush up the case and attempted to protect former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh," a family member told the news channel.

Political Allegations

Panja accused BJP of using this tragedy for political gains instead of seeking justice. She mentioned that during a debate on an anti-rape Bill passed by the West Bengal assembly, a BJP legislator demanded immediate justice for the victim's family. Recently, this historic anti-rape bill was passed by West Bengal assembly.

Panja claimed that BJP's political manoeuvres alongside other parties are exacerbating the distress of the victim’s parents. This deeply affects their sentiments, she said. Panja also condemned fake videos circulating on social media, alleging they were spread by BJP's IT cell.

She called for swift punishment for perpetrators and condemned sharing of post-mortem reports on social media as an injustice to the victim. "When everyone is crying for justice, including Trinamool Congress, politics should not come into play. We want speedy justice and exemplary punishment for culprits," Panja said.

CBI Investigation

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu criticised CBI's lack of progress despite receiving all relevant documents from Kolkata Police 23 days ago. He questioned CBI’s transparency and BJP’s claims of evidence tampering. "The BJP has been saying evidence has been tampered with. We want to know what evidence? Why this silence on part of CBI?" he asked.

The doctor's death on August 9 triggered nationwide protests and led junior doctors in West Bengal to cease work. Panja supported their agitation as justified but hoped they would resume work once addressed. "The agitation by doctors is justified and should be treated with empathy. Surely, they will get back to work when they feel that time has come for them," Panja added.

The West Bengal BJP responded, saying the family exposed state government's plan to hush up this case. "The TMC government has done everything to cover up this. The family's statement has exposed TMC and police," BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya claimed.

This tragic incident continues to stir emotions across India as calls for justice grow louder amidst political tensions and ongoing investigations.