Kolkata, Feb 26: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is stressing heavily on circumstantial evidence to build up a strong case in the angle of tampering with and altering evidence in the R.G. Kar rape and murder tragedy, the supplementary charge sheet for which is expected to be filed at a special court in Kolkata soon.

The CBI counsel, on February 24, informed the special court that their investigation into the matter is underway and a supplementary charge sheet will be filed shortly. Incidentally, this special court had recently sentenced the sole convict in the crime of rape and murder and a civic volunteer Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment.

Sources aware of the development said that in the exercise of stressing the circumstantial evidence the most crucial tool in the hand of the investigating officials is the mobile SIM card of the erstwhile SHO of Tala Police station Abhijit Mondal.

That is why, a CBI insider said, the central agency counsel had on February 24 opposed the application from Mondal to get back his mobile SIM.

He also confirmed that the investigating officials secured several circumstantial evidence as regards attempts made to first pass on the rape and murder event as a case of suicide and thereafter to destroy evidence in the matter.

The findings based on such circumstantial evidence will be the basis of the supplementary charge sheet to be filed at a special court soon, the CBI insider said.

Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence that supports a claim by making logical inferences and is often used in criminal and civil investigations.

At the same time, sources said, some elements in the status report of the investigation that the CBI had already submitted to the Supreme Court, will also be included in the proposed supplementary charge sheet.

In all probability, sources said, the CBI will file the charge sheet at the special court in Kolkata before the next hearing at the apex court scheduled on March 17 this year.

To recall, the CBI also arrested both Mondal and the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh on charges of tampering with and altering evidence.

But both were granted “default bail” by the special court as the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge sheet against them within 90 days from the date of their arrests.

Mondal is currently out on bail. However, Ghosh is still in judicial custody because of the pending and parallel investigation against him by CBI in the case of multi-crore financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

Kolkata, Feb 22: Over six months have passed since the shocking rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital but her parents are still to get a copy of her death certificate.

The body of the victim was recovered from a seminar hall within the premises of the state-run institution early on August 9 last year.

The victim’s parents have alleged that they have been unable to get the death certificate till now as the R.G. Kar and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities are shifting the responsibility onto each other.

According to them, the KMC authorities are claiming that since the “place of death” is R.G. Kar, it is the responsibility of the hospital authorities to provide the death certificate.

On the other, the R.G. Kar authorities claim that if a patient dies within the hospital premises or is even brought dead to the hospital, the death certificate will have to be provided by the KMC authorities, the parents added.

The victim’s parents have further claimed that although they have not got a copy of the death certificate, it has been mentioned in the court documents, as per the statement of a medical officer attached to R.G. Kar.

They now say if the death certificate is mentioned in the court documents, why was a copy of the certificate not handed over to them?

Last week, a special court in Kolkata, which had convicted and sentenced civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in the rape and murder case, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a fresh progress report on its investigation in the matter on February 24.

Since the special court has already pronounced the sentence for the convict in the main crime of rape and murder, legal circles feel that the fresh progress report will be related to the angle of tampering with the evidence in the case.

It is learnt that the special court had directed the CBI to submit a fresh progress report following a complaint filed by the counsel of the victim’s family accusing the central agency of not updating the court on the progress of investigation in the matter periodically.

Guwahati, Feb 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that ten persons have been arrested in connection with the attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain.

Taking to social media platform X, CM Sarma said, “The police have identified the individuals involved in the alleged incident of assault on Congress MP Sri Rakibul Hussain.”

He also mentioned that the actions will be taken as per the law.

The Dhubri MP was attacked while attending a public programme in the Nagaon district.

The Congress MP had to run from the spot wearing a helmet to save himself. The security officers of Hussain sustained minor injuries in the attack.

In a viral video, it was seen that some masked miscreants initially showed black flags to the Congress MP and after that attacked him.

In the video, Hussian was seen fleeing from the spot in a two-wheeler to save himself from the attack.

The incident that happened in the Ruporihat locality drew criticism from the opposition with Congress leaders training guns on the BJP government.

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, launched a sharp attack on the BJP government as Congress MP Hussain was attacked on Thursday.

Gogoi said, “In Assam, a Congress Lok Sabha MP is attacked by thugs in broad daylight in a busy marketplace. The goons even attack the police security officers and try to snatch their weapons. All of this is recorded on camera. Yet the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma refuses to ensure that the thugs will be arrested immediately.”

“The Chief Minister should at least think of his constitutional duty towards Assam Police and the innocent civilians in the marketplace. If the goons had got hold of the machine gun, a terrible tragedy could have taken place. The attitude of the Chief Minister will only embolden the thieves, dacoits, smugglers and those accused of murder. Democracy is under threat and people of Assam want freedom from this gunda raj culture,” he added.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia said it was a “failure” of the police and administration.