Top CBI Officers From Hathras, Unnao Take On Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Sampat Meena & Seema Pahuja On The Hunt

The investigation into the Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case has been assigned to two of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) top female officers, known for their success in high-profile cases.

The lead on the case is Sampat Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand with notable experience, having previously handled the Hathras and Unnao rape cases.

Photo Credit: PTI

Assisting her is Seema Pahuja, who was also instrumental in the Hathras investigation. Ms Meena, serving as Additional Director, will oversee a team of 25 officers, while Ms Pahuja will manage the ground-level investigation. Pahuja's notable achievements include solving the 2017 Gudiya case in Himachal Pradesh, a blind case which advanced DNA technology played a crucial role. The victim, a Class 10 student, had been abducted, raped, and murdered, and her body was discovered two days later. Anil Kumar, the convicted woodcutter, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 after DNA evidence linked him to the crime.

In addition to her work on the Gudiya case, Pahuja was also part of the team that secured a conviction in the 2017 Unnao rape case. In this case, BJP leader and local MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang-rape of a 17-year-old Dalit girl, and for the subsequent death of the girl's father in judicial custody.

The 2020 Hathras case, which generated nationwide outrage, saw a 19-year-old woman allegedly assaulted and gang-raped by four men from an upper-caste group. The victim died from her injuries, and the controversy intensified when her body was cremated by the Uttar Pradesh Police without her family's consent. Although one of the accused, Sandeep Thakur, was convicted for culpable homicide, the other three were acquitted. The court's decision was influenced by discrepancies between the victim's statement and forensic evidence, leading to widespread criticism of police handling of the case.

The state police faced severe backlash for their handling of the Hathras case, including delays in filing the First Information Report, denial of rape, and the controversial cremation of the victim's body. In response to public outcry, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended five police officers, including the Superintendent of Police, on October 3, 2020.