RG Kar Case: CBI to Question Sandeep Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal on Key Issues

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to interrogate Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the former station house officer (SHO) of Tala Police Station, together. This move aims to clarify suspicious actions taken by both on the morning of August 9, when the body of a junior doctor, a victim of a brutal rape and murder, was discovered on hospital grounds.

The first point of investigation is the nine phone calls exchanged between Ghosh and Mondal on that morning, which have been identified from their call records. The CBI counsel updated a special court in Kolkata on Sunday about these numerous calls and their potential significance.

Sources close to the case indicated that questioning Ghosh and Mondal together will help the investigators understand the nature of their communication and whether it pertains to the case.

The second point of concern is why Mondal and his team, who were the first responders to the crime scene, and Ghosh, as the head of the medical college, allowed numerous individuals to access the scene, which could have led to evidence tampering.

Both Mondal and Ghosh were arrested by the CBI on Saturday night for allegedly misleading the initial investigation and tampering with evidence.

The third issue under scrutiny is why Ghosh did not file an initial complaint of rape and why Mondal, as a police officer, did not press for such a complaint despite clear indications of the crime on the victim’s body.

On Sunday, the special court remanded Ghosh and Mondal to three days of CBI custody. A crucial hearing on the case is scheduled at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, where the CBI will present its second progress report. Senior advocate and social activist Indira Jaising will represent the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) at the hearing, which is leading the protests in response to this tragedy.