Kolkata rape-murder: Forced to cremate body, police tried to bribe, allege victim's parents

The parents of the young trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered in Kolkata last month, accused the Kolkata Police of attempting to suppress the case by hurriedly cremating their daughter's body and even offered them a bribe.

The parents, who joined the protesting medics at RG Kar hospital on Wednesday alleged that they were forced to hurriedly proceed with the cremation though they had wanted to preseve the body of their daughter.

Participating in the protests at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last night on September 4, where the body of their daughter was recovered on August 9, the parents demanded justice and accused a senior police officer of trying to bribe them after the incident came to light.

Bribe offered, hurried cremation

“The police, from the very beginning, tried to hush up the case. We were not allowed to see the body and had to wait at the police station while the body was taken for post-mortem examinations. Later, when the body was handed over to us, a senior police official offered us money, which we immediately declined,” the father of the deceased doctor said.

According to the father, they wanted the body preserved, but a lot of pressure was created.

"About 300-400 cops surrounded us. We returned home and found some 300 cops were standing outside. They created such a situation that we were forced to cremate her," he alleged, according to news reports. The cremation was rushed and the cost was not taken from the family, he added.

"My daughter went knowing that Bapi (father) could not even pay for this," the victim's father lamented about the funeral expenses. He also alleged that some police officers tried to get his signature on a blank sheet of paper. "I tore it up and threw it away," he claimed.

Meanwhile, the victim's mother expressed her full support to the doctors protesting at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in demand of justice for their friend and colleague. "I cannot sleep. I want the criminals to lose sleep too. The protest should continue till we get justice, " she stated.

Unanswered questions

The victim's father raised a few questions on the circumstances surrounding the aftermath of the rape and murder case of his daughter.

One is why the hospital authorities had told them even before the body was examined that their daughter had died by suicide. Moreover, they had to wait for three-and-a-half hours to see their daughter's face, he alleged.

"Her mother fell on their feet to let us see her. Why was autopsy delayed? Why did police file an unnatural death case? I filed the complaint at Tala Police Station around 7 pm. Why then was FIR registered at 11.45?" he asked.

The Kolkata police, however, has told the Supreme Court in its affidavit that the victim's parents had to wait for just 10 minutes before they were taken to the seminar hall where the body was found. This is refuted by the parents who stressed that they waited for over three hours and begged the cops to let them see their daughter.

Delay in filing FIR

The delay in filing the FIR has also raised questions. The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had asked during a hearing in the SC the reason the FIR was lodged almost 14 hours after the discovery of the (body). Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, had emphasised that the cops had faithfully followed the procedure.

The victim's parents had earlier approached the Calcutta high court, who ordered the case to be handed over to the CBI in the second week of August.

Since August 10, protests have erupted across the state, with people from various quarters demanding justice for the victim. Last night, residents of the city turned off their lights for an hour to demand justice for the victim.

As part of the protest, lights were also turned off in the landmark monuments such as Victoria Memorial and Raj Bhavan.. Governor CV Ananda Bose lit candles at Raj Bhavan and shared visuals on X.

"When light is fear, darkness is dear," read the caption.

Recent arrest in the case

On Monday, the CBI arrested the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, in connection with alleged financial misconduct at the establishment.

On Tuesday, the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed a state anti-rape bill seeking capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state, and a life sentence without parole for other perpetrators. 

(With inputs from agencies)