HC told construction work near crime scene is to destroy evidence

Kolkata: A day after the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), petitioners approached the court on Wednesday over the construction work initiated near the crime scene in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, alleging that evidence is being destroyed.

The Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya was approached by counsel Koustav Bagchi who told the court that immediately after the order was passed, there was an attempt to destroy the entire crime scene.

The CJ said that one of the petitioners had also sent an email expressing apprehensions. The court, however, said that now that the probe has been handed over to CBI, the counsel should hand over his representation to the central agency.

“We cannot tell the CBI the manner in which to investigate. They know the scene of crime has to be preserved. News reports say an FIR was registered and a probe has started..” the court said. The court further asked the counsel to inform the additional solicitor general of the development. “Let’s wait for two days. File an application on Monday,” the court said. The renovation work near the crime scene riled up the doctors and medical students at RG Kar who demanded to know who ordered the work while also asking for immediate stoppage of work. Initially, misinformation had spread that the work was ongoing inside the seminar room where the incident of alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor took place. However, it was later clarified that work was afoot opposite the seminar room.

The newly-appointed principal of RG Kar, Suhita Pal is learnt to have clarified on Wednesday that the work has been stopped. She reportedly said that permission for the work was sought from the police via e-mail. Work has stopped now. It was only afoot for eight hours, she told

the media.