Kolkata, Dec 26: Kolkata Police have denied permission to a doctors’ association seeking an extension of their protest in the R.G. Kar rape and murder case.

The protest has been going on to condemn the failure of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to present a charge sheet against Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal, who are accused of tampering with the evidence in the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Medical College and Hospital.

The sit-in protest at Doreena Crossing organised by the West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, an umbrella association of doctors practising in the state, is supposed to end in the evening.

A member of the doctor’s body said they forwarded a communique on Wednesday night to the city police for permission to extend the sit-in protest.

However, on Thursday, the city police replied to the doctors’ email communique claiming the inability to give permission on certain grounds.

“We are weighing legal options available to ensure the extension of the demonstration. Initially, the city police even denied granting permission for the ongoing sit-in demonstration which is scheduled to end this afternoon. However, later we got permission for the same from the Calcutta High Court,” said a representative of the umbrella doctors’ body.

On Wednesday, another doctors’ body namely West Bengal Doctors Forum had written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking the change the name of “Doreena Crossing”, a popular protest point in the city, to “Abhaya Crossing”.

The victim junior doctor of the R.G Kar is referred to as “Abhaya” since the legal system of the country bars revealing the identity of any rape or rape-and-murder victim.

Recently, a special court in Kolkata granted “default bail” to the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal as CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet against them within 90 days from the date of their arrests.

Both Ghosh and Mondal were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with the evidence when the initial investigation was being carried out by Kolkata Police.

This week, a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) surfaced, which has created doubts about the “scene of crime” in the rape and murder case.

On the morning of August 9, 2024, the body of the victim was spotted at the seminar hall within the hospital premises of R.G. Kar and Hospital, accordingly, first the Kolkata Police and then CBI carried out the investigation considering the seminar hall as the “scene of crime”.

However, a report that CFSL has submitted to the CBI agency clearly stated that there is no evident sign of scuffle within the seminar room, sources said.

In fact, the CFSL report strengthens the apprehension raised by the section of the medical fraternity in the state since the beginning that the actual “scene of crime” was someplace else and after the rape and murder, the body was shifted to the seminar hall to mislead the investigation.

Thane, Dec 26: A couple has been arrested in connection with the abduction, rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Thane district.

Coming barely after the Badlapur sexual assault on two nursery class girls in August, this is the second case that has sparked outrage with people demanding the noose for the alleged perpetrators – Vishal Gawli, 35 and his wife Sakshi Gawli, 25.

Vishal Gawli is accused of kidnapping the girl from near her home, where she was playing on Monday, taking her to his house, assaulting, raping, killing and then dumping her body near a cemetery in the neighbouring Bhiwandi town, some 8 kilometres away.

He was spotted purchasing liquor in a restaurant-cum-bar CCTV footage, and the Thane Police formed six teams to hunt him down, finally nabbing him on Wednesday (December 25) with the help of Buldhana Police.

A team of Kalyan Police which has registered the case, took custody of Vishal Gawli from Shegaon Police in Buldhana where his in-laws reside, while his wife Sakshi, who was said to be a party to the heinous crime, was nabbed from outside her house in Kalyan.

The Shegaon Police zeroed in on Vishal Gawli after he stepped out of a salon where he had gone to change his appearance by shaving off his beard.

They handed him over to the Kolsewadi Police Station in Kalyan town (Thane) on Thursday and is likely to be produced before a Kalyan Magistrate Court later in the day.

Initial probe reveals that he was a history-sheeter in sex crimes, facing three molestation cases involving two women and a minor girl, plus two assault cases, he was released on bail in a POCSO case lodged in August 2023 and had been married thrice, with Sakshi being his third wife.

As the matter assumed political overtones, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Thane Superintendent of Police and directed that no efforts should be spared to ensure the death penalty for the accused – both now arrested.

Ruling ally Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde – in whose Lok Sabha constituency – the heinous crime took place, met the victim’s family and assured that the government would ensure that the accused is tried and hanged.

The incident attracted huge flak from the Opposition parties including Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, who said that Thane – the home district of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – has become a hotbed of gruesome crimes against women and young girls.

Belagavi, Dec 25: The Karnataka Police on Wednesday suspended the Inspector of Khanapur Police Station in Belagavi on the charges of violating the superior officers’ orders by letting BJP leaders inside the police station during MLC C. T. Ravi’s arrest.

IGP (Northern Range) Vikash Kumar Vikash has issued the order of suspension in this regard.

“On December 19, BJP MLC C. T. Ravi was shifted to Khanapur Police Station from the Hirebagewadi Police Station. Strict instructions were given not to allow anyone inside the station. It was also instructed to arrange security with available staff of the police station,” the IGP stated.

“Police Inspector Manjunath Nayak had not made proper security arrangements. The political leaders barged inside the police station. This had created confusion on the premises of the police station. He had failed to prevent the entry of political leaders,” the IGP said.

The IGP said that a suspension order is issued for violating the orders from superior officers, dereliction of duty, negligence and irresponsible behaviour by the officer.

Meanwhile, the development has taken a political turn with the BJP, Dalit and pro-Kannada organisations calling for a Khanapur bandh to protest the Police Inspector’s suspension.

Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar and Home Minister G. Parameshwara held a meeting of police officers in Belagavi.

Talking to reporters, Parameshwara said, “The matter of C. T. Ravi was not discussed in the meeting. The case is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). When the matter is being investigated, I won’t make any comments.”

“The decision to suspend Manjunath Nayak was taken by the senior officers of the department. The government will not interfere in the matter in any eventuality,” he maintained.

Deputy CM Shivakumar had slammed the BJP leaders for holding a meeting in the Khanapur police station.

A BJP delegation comprising senior BJP leaders from Belagavi, including Anil Benake and Subhash Patil, met IGP Vikas Kumar and Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang on Wednesday and demanded the arrest of the accused who allegedly attacked Ravi at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

The Karnataka BJP delegation had demanded Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to intervene in the investigation of the derogatory remark case involving Ravi and Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and to ensure a judicial inquiry.

BJP leader R. Ashoka had alleged that police stations have effectively turned into Congress offices in Karnataka and said that he is sceptical about the impartiality of police investigations.

The row erupted on December 19 during a heated debate in the Karnataka Legislative Council.

Ravi allegedly referred to Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, as a “drug addict”. This provoked strong reactions, with Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar calling Ravi a “murderer”. Ravi reportedly responded with an obscene remark directed at Hebbalkar.

The alleged comment led to Ravi’s arrest on charges of using derogatory language against Hebbalkar.

However, following a High Court directive, Ravi was released, creating further political drama.

The Congress government has handed over the case to the special wing Criminal Investigation Department (CID) even as the Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti had said that the case is a closed chapter and the police interference is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Minister Hebbalkar challenged Ravi to swear before Lord Manjunatheshwara at the famous Hindu pilgrimage centre in Dharmasthala in Karnataka, regarding his alleged use of derogatory words against her in the Legislative Council.