A “motionless”, “half-naked” body was discovered by a first-year PGT doctor of the chest department at 9.30 am, the first general diary (GDE 542) was recorded by Tala police station at 10.10 am, around 3.40 pm a confidential letter in a closed envelope was given by MSVP (medical superintendent cum vice principal) of RG Kar Hospital to the officer-in-charge (OC) of Tala PS for registration of FIR about “discovery of a dead body”, and 40 exhibits were seized from the crime scene by the forensics team of Kolkata police by the evening before the parents of the victim lodged an FIR at 11.45 pm adding sections of rape and murder.
Startling details of the day, August 9, when a young doctor was found raped and killed inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital have emerged as News18 accessed crucial investigation documents and notes of Kolkata police.
How did investigation start and progress?
As the timeline recorded by the Kolkata police, officers from the nearest Tala police station reached the crime scene in two batches, first at 10.10 am and second by 10.30 am. The scene of the crime (SOC) was sealed and secured to prevent contamination immediately.
Senior officers including one of additional commissioner rank and some of a joint commissioner rank along with sleuths of the detective department and the forensics team with footprint and fingerprint experts, a photographer and a videographer reached the spot between 11 and 11.30 am. The family of the victim was informed by the assistant superintendent around 10.52 am and asked to reach the hospital. The commissioner of police reached the spot around 12.30 pm.
According to investigation notes, the on-duty emergency medical officer (EMO) declared the victim deceased at 12.44 pm. The state forensic science laboratory (FSL) team arrived shortly after to examine the scene. Despite procedural delays and protests from the victim’s family, who demanded a magisterial inquest and post-mortem under videography, the judicial process proceeded. Around 1 pm, the experts from the forensic science laboratory (FLS) arrived and at 1.10 pm, the family members, guided by the hospital authority, reached the seminar room. The EMO prepared the medical certificate and death certificate at 1.47 pm and the body of the victim was handed over to the police.
In the report (WB Form No 5370) that was sent to the magistrate, the police officer attending the case stated, “Upon receiving the information, he rushed to PO (place of occurrence), and after reaching there he found a body of a lady in an unconscious state in half-naked condition. He established her identity. The lady was declared dead. He noted in the report that certain injuries were found on the person of deceased including injuries on her private parts, so the UD case (u/s 194 BNSS// 174 CrPC) started, vide Tala PS UD case no 861, so that process of Inquest and PM can be started without any delay.”
‘Confidential’ intimation note about body
Around 3 pm, a verbal demand was made by the family members and colleagues of the victim for an inquest and post-mortem in the presence of a judicial magistrate and under videography. An officer was sent to Sealdah court to arrange a judicial magistrate. A requisition was given to ACJM Sealdah for deputing a JM to conduct an inquest and remain present during the PM examination. The hospital sent a confidential letter to the Tala PS for FIR registration, which was a general intimation rather than a specific complaint.
The post-mortem, conducted from 6.10 pm to 7.10 pm, was thoroughly documented. The body was then transferred to the morgue amid outrage and protest by the doctors, and by 11.45 pm, the family’s specific complaint led to the registration of an FIR (under Tala PS Case No. 52/2024), detailing allegations of rape and murder. In between, the forensic team of DD and the state forensic lab examined the crime scene. A dog squad with sniffer dogs reached the spot around 8 pm.
The documents suggest that while the inquest and post-mortem were underway, investigators began scrutinising all entry and exit points of the scene of the crime (SOC) and reviewing CCTV footage. Eleven individuals, including four of the victim’s doctor colleagues who were on duty that night, were questioned to piece together the case details.
40 exhibits from crime scene seized
Between 8.30 and 10.45 pm, forensic experts seized 40 exhibits from the SOC under videography, witnessed by local observers. Following the post-mortem, the body was returned to the family, who then lodged an FIR at around 11:45 pm, detailing allegations of rape and murder against unknown individuals.
This led to the registration of FIR no. 52 at Tala police station.
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