TMC, victim’s family clash over police handling in Kolkata.
Kolkata Doc Rape-Murder: TMC and Victim’s Family Clash Over Alleged Police Cover-Up
In a tragic case that has sparked outrage across the country, the family of a young woman doctor from Kolkata, who was allegedly raped and murdered, has accused the police of attempting a cover-up. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) responded on Thursday, refuting the accusations and presenting a newly surfaced video as evidence of the family’s prior satisfaction with the investigation. However, the victim’s family quickly countered this, claiming the video was forcibly recorded by the police shortly after the cremation of their daughter.
The family of the deceased doctor, who joined protesting medical professionals at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday night, has been vocal in accusing the Kolkata Police of trying to suppress the case by hastily cremating the body of their daughter. They allege that this action was part of a broader effort to cover up the circumstances surrounding her death.
But there shouldn’t be any politics here. We want to humbly appeal that there should be no political pressure on the parents to do anything,” said West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya Panja, speaking on behalf of the TMC.
However, within an hour of Panja’s statement, the family responded through a Bengali news channel, claiming that the video was recorded under duress by the police. “The video was shot by the police just days after the incident took place, and we were forced to participate.
Political Allegations and Counterclaims
The TMC, in turn, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicizing the tragedy for electoral gains. Panja, in her statement, implied that the BJP was more interested in using the incident for political mileage rather than seeking justice for the victim. She highlighted that during the recent debate on the anti-rape Bill passed by the West Bengal assembly, a BJP legislator had called for swift justice for the victim’s family. However, Panja emphasized that the TMC has also been at the forefront of demanding justice and that political games should not be played with such a sensitive issue.
During the debate, a BJP legislator stated that justice should be immediately delivered to the victim’s family, and the CBI would not be spared if there were delays,” Panja said.
She also claimed that the BJP, along with other political parties, was engaging in maneuvers that were only adding to the distress of the victim’s parents. “This is deeply affecting the sentiments of the medic’s parents,” she noted.
Panja also expressed concern about the spread of false information related to the case. Panja further accused the BJP’s IT cell of proliferating fake videos and information online, exacerbating the pain of the grieving family.
“The CBI should expedite the probe,” Panja urged, while also calling for swift and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators responsible for the crime. We want speedy justice and exemplary punishment for the culprit or culprits,” she reiterated.
Criticism of the CBI and BJP
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu also weighed in on the matter, questioning the CBI’s role in the investigation. Basu pointed out that despite the Kolkata Police handing over all relevant documents to the CBI 23 days ago, there has been little to no progress or communication from the agency. He expressed concern about the CBI’s “lack of transparency” and questioned the BJP’s repeated claims that evidence had been tampered with.
We want to know what evidence ” Basu asked, echoing the frustrations of many who are following the case.
The death of the doctor on August 9 has ignited nationwide protests, with junior doctors in West Bengal launching a cease-work movement to express their outrage. Panja has voiced her support for the doctors’ agitation, describing it as justified, but expressed hope that they would return to work once they felt the situation had been adequately addressed.
BJP’s Response
The West Bengal BJP has been quick to respond to the accusations from the TMC. BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya stated that the victim’s family had “exposed” the state government’s attempts to cover up the case. The family’s statement has exposed the TMC and the police,” Bhattacharya claimed, further escalating the political tensions surrounding the case.
As the investigation continues, the case remains at the center of a bitter political struggle, with both the TMC and BJP trading accusations while the family continues to seek justice for their daughter.