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Year Ender: Bengal’s shocker RG Kar case in 2024 saw massive protests amid shoddy probe claims

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Kolkata, Dec 31: 2024 was an eventful year for West Bengal for several reasons, but the incident that rocked the state and the country was the ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata within the premises in August.

The following sequence of events made the entire investigation process a mere farcical exercise.

The scripted plot started on the morning of August 9 soon after the body of the victim was recovered from the seminar hall within the R.G. Kar premises. As per the victim’s parents, on the same morning, they received subsequent calls from a woman claiming to be an Assistant Superintendent of the hospital making contradictory statements each time.

“First she said that my daughter had become seriously ill. Next, she claimed that my daughter had committed suicide,” claimed the victim’s father to the media persons after the tragedy.

An audio clip of the purported conversation also became viral in the social media then which authenticated the allegations of the victim’s parents.

Kolkata Police started the initial investigation and soon took the prime accused in the case and civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in custody. However, several lapses in the process of initial investigation by the city police started surfacing then. Some of them were lackadaisical in cordoning off the entire crime scene allowing several unwanted individuals crowding there and lapses in the post-mortem process that raised suspicions about the tampering with evidence in the matter.

Following these developments, the civil society flared up in anguish which was followed by a series of protests by people throughout the state. The protests were led by representatives from the medical fraternity in the state.

Slowly, the protest fever gripped other states in the country and subsequently similar protest demonstrations by non-resident Indians settled in different countries abroad also started surfacing.

The ongoing protest demonstrations took a dramatic turn at midnight of August 14 when almost the entire state was on the streets condemning the macabre tragedy as well as demanding the safety of women at the workplace.

A group of miscreants suddenly barged in within the R.G. Kar premises and ransacked portions of the emergency department of the hospital. Later information surfaced that their main target was the floor of the purported “scene of crime” that is the seminar hall where the body of the victim was recovered, clearly hinting that the attack was orchestrated to destroy the evidence. The development also diverted the media attention on that night from the protest or demonstration to the event of ransacking.

This development flared up public protests which were aggravated further by the decision of the junior doctors to go on fast-unto-death protest demanding justice for the victims.

In the meantime, there were two subsequent developments on the legal front. First, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took charge of the investigation from the city police following an order by a division bench of Calcutta High Court. Secondly, the Supreme Court headed by the then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud took up the matter for hearing on a suo motu basis.

The initial days of the CBI probe in the matter were highly exciting with information about tampering of evidence during the phase of initial investigation by the city police surfacing one after another.

The excitement reached its peak when CBI arrested the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal on charges of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence.

All these were going on while the protests were gaining momentum with a group of junior doctors participating in the hunger strike started falling sick one after another. Even the West Bengal government, at that point in time, seemed a bit helpless in the midst of all-around pressure and made desperate attempts to sit at the discussion table with the junior doctors to end the impasse.

However, the series of heartbreaks started soon first with the first charge sheet of CBI identifying the civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the “sole prime accused” in the crime of rape and murder.

At the same time following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the junior doctors withdrew from the hunger strike which to a large extent dampened the general protest mood involving civil society and common people.

The final blow came on December 13, when a special court in Kolkata granted “default bail” to Ghosh and Mondal in the rape and murder as CBI failed to submit a supplementary charge sheet against the duo within 90 days from the date of their arrests.

Following this development, there was an air of frustration and suspicion about the sincerity with which the central investigating agency also was conducting the probe. Suspicions surfaced further following a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) that contradicted several points that surfaced during the course of the investigation.

The first contradiction was about the “scene of crime”. While both Kolkata Police and CBI conducted the investigation considering the seminar hall from where the body of the victim was discovered as the scene of the crime, the CFSL report clearly stated there was no evidence of scuffle at the seminar room thus creating doubts on whether that place was actually the scene of crime or not.

Secondly, the CFSL report, while not ruling out the possibility of murder and crime being conducted by one accused, advocated for further research based on different past scientific reports by experts in similar cases can lead to the final conclusion on whether more than one person was involved in the crime.

At the same time, the CFSL report clearly stated that the confidentiality factor of the post-mortem process of the body of the victim was compromised and standard protocols were not followed during that process.

The seventh point mentioned in the CSFL report is, “Observation of the videography of the PM examination revealed that several people were present inside the post-mortem hall and some of them were taking photographs and making videos on their personal mobile phones, which is against the standard and accepted protocol and practice to maintain confidentiality of the case and dignity of the deceased,” the report said.

Crime

Mumbai Drug Case: Boyfriend Of Peddler Ashwini Paul Taken Into Custody For Supplying Ecstasy Pills

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Tuesday took into custody Aamir Sayyed, the boyfriend of arrested drug peddler Ashwini Paul, from jail in connection with an Ecstasy pills drug case.

According to police sources, Aamir Sayyed is suspected to have supplied around 5,000 Ecstasy pills that were recovered from Ashwini Paul. Investigators are now probing the source of the contraband and his wider network.

Earlier, the Anti-Narcotics Cell had arrested Ashwini Paul from Titwala on Saturday with a massive consignment of Ecstasy tablets reportedly valued at around ₹6 crore. Two other accused were also arrested in the case.

During the investigation, Sayyed’s name surfaced as a key supplier. However, police found that he was already lodged in jail. He was subsequently taken into custody for questioning in this case.

Officials revealed that Sayyed had previously been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in a cocaine seizure case. After being released on bail, he allegedly resumed drug trafficking activities.

His bail was cancelled in February after he repeatedly failed to appear for court hearings, following which the DRI sent him back to jail.

Police said that during his bail period, Sayyed had supplied Ecstasy pills to Ashwini Paul for distribution. Further investigation is underway.

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Crime

Minor Scratch On Two-Wheeler Snowballs Into Violent Youth Brawl At Telephone Exchange Chowk In Nagpur

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Nagpur: A shocking late-night clash at Telephone Exchange Chowk in Nagpur has come to light after a video of the incident surfaced online, showing two groups of youths brutally attacking each other following a minor dispute over a scratch on a two-wheeler.

The incident took place around 11 pm on Monday when two groups of young men, who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol, were on their way to a Savji hotel for dinner. The situation reportedly spiralled out of control after one group allegedly scratched the bike of the other, triggering a heated argument.

What initially began as a verbal spat soon turned into a violent street brawl. The visuals circulating online show members of both groups exchanging blows in the middle of the road, with the fight quickly intensifying. In the video, youths can be seen raining kicks and punches on each other, while also using sticks and whatever objects they could find nearby to attack their rivals.

The ferocity of the clash is evident in the footage, which shows complete chaos unfolding. At one point, several individuals are seen falling to the ground during the assault, while others continue the attack in full public view. The video further shows that after the violence subsided, one group began leaving the spot while members of the other group, who had collapsed on the road, were seen trying to help each other get back on their feet.

The incident has raised serious concerns over how quickly minor disagreements can snowball into dangerous and potentially fatal confrontations. That a dispute allegedly triggered by a scratch on a scooter could escalate into such a brutal attack has once again drawn attention to rising street violence and reckless behaviour, particularly when alcohol is involved.

The disturbing visuals have since gone viral on social media, sparking outrage and concern among viewers. The incident serves as yet another reminder of how unchecked anger and intoxication can turn a trivial matter into a life-threatening episode within minutes.

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Crime

CCTV captures brutal Mumbai assault linked to Yusuf Pathan’s relatives

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Mumbai, April 21: CCTV footage has emerged showing relatives of Yusuf Pathan, including his father-in-law, assaulting a Mumbai resident and his family following a dispute triggered by water splashing from a passing car in the Byculla area.

According to police, all identified accused have been arrested except one, after the incident came to light through video evidence and witness statements. The father-in-law of the Trinamool Congress MP was taken into custody on Monday along with his son and another relative. The three accused are alleged to have attacked a local resident and his family members two days earlier.

Officials from the Byculla Police Station said the CCTV footage forms a crucial part of the investigation and clearly captures the sequence of events leading to the assault.

The visuals show one individual, linked to the accused group, approaching the complainant’s vehicle and smashing its windshield using a bamboo stick or a similar object after water splashed on him from the car passing through a pothole.

Subsequently, a larger group, including those identified as Khalid Khan alias Makaliq — reported to be Yusuf Pathan’s father-in-law — along with his son Umarshad Khan, Shoaib Khan and another accused, Shehbaz Pathan, can be seen confronting the victim, Yusuf Khan, and his family members.

The footage depicts the accused carrying bamboo sticks and a baseball bat and aggressively attacking the victims. Multiple strikes are visible in the video, with scenes of chaos as the victims attempt to shield themselves while others try to intervene.

Police said the assault resulted in serious injuries, including a fractured hand suffered by the victim’s brother-in-law, Salman, and significant injuries to his uncle, Zaki Ahmed. The damaged vehicle, with its shattered windshield, is also visible in the footage.

Investigators stated that the assailants are clearly identifiable in the CCTV visuals, which have been used as primary evidence along with statements from eyewitnesses.

According to police, the clarity of the footage enabled them to identify the accused without ambiguity, leading to the swift arrest of three individuals, while one accused remains at large.

Further investigation into the case is ongoing, officials said.

The case has been registered under Sections 118(2), 115(2), 324, 352, 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

As per the police, the incident occurred on Saturday night around 9 p.m. when a local, Yusuf Khan (30), was returning home. Water from a pothole allegedly splashed onto another individual, identified as Shoaib Khan (35), after Yusuf Khan’s vehicle passed through it.

Yusuf Khan told police that he immediately stopped his car and apologised for the incident. However, Shoaib allegedly began abusing him verbally and damaged the car’s windshield using a bamboo stick before physically assaulting him, causing injuries.

After reaching home, Yusuf Khan’s family advised him to lodge a complaint with the police.

While heading towards the police station, Yusuf Khan allegedly encountered Khalid Khan, also known as ‘Makalik’ (Yusuf Pathan’s father-in-law). Police said Khalid was accompanied by his son, Umarsad Pathan (35), Shoaib Pathan and another accused, Shehbaz Pathan.

According to investigators, the group allegedly initiated another confrontation and attacked Yusuf Khan and his relatives using bamboo sticks and baseball bats.

During the assault, Yusuf Khan’s brother Salman suffered a fractured arm, while his uncle Zaki Ahmed sustained serious injuries. Police said Shehbaz Pathan remains absconding, while the other three accused have been arrested and booked for assault and causing grievous injuries.

The arrested accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Police said the action was based on CCTV footage, witness statements and the recovery of weapons used in the attack, including bamboo sticks and baseball bats. Investigators informed the court that the accused were clearly identified through CCTV visuals as well as by eyewitnesses.

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