KOLKATA: The mother and father of the postgraduate resident physician whose physique was found in a seminar corridor of RG Kar Medical Faculty and Hospital on Aug 9 first raised the alarm of “homicide” round 3pm that day.
Nevertheless, the formal FIR was not lodged till 11.45pm, practically eight-anda-half hours later — greater than three hours after the physique had already been handed over to the household for cremation at 8.30pm.The case has sparked scrutiny, with Kolkata police underneath strain to elucidate the procedural delay in dealing with the 31-year-old physician’s rape and homicide.
Paperwork from court docket proceedings and interviews with law enforcement officials revealed that assistant professor Sumit Kumar Tapadar notified police at 9.45am in regards to the discovery of the physique in a “seminar room” and urged them to file an FIR. Nevertheless, police acquired the official written criticism from hospital authorities at 2.45pm.
The police timeline confirmed they have been knowledgeable of the loss of life at 10.10am and arrived on the scene by 10.30am. Kolkata police’s murder squad reached the situation by 11am, adopted by senior officers by 12.30pm. By 12.45pm, an “unnatural loss of life” (UD) case was registered. The sufferer’s father criticised the delay. “We advised everybody it was a case of homicide after seeing the physique round 3pm. We lodged our criticism round 5 or 5.30pm.
However the FIR was formally registered hours later. Solely the police know why,” he mentioned Tuesday. Throughout a Supreme Courtroom listening to, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud addressed the delay. “It’s the obligation of the hospital authorities to file an FIR instantly after such an incident happens, no matter whether or not the mother and father have been current,” he mentioned.
Based on senior prison lawyer Milon Mukherjee, it was legally permissible for police to first lodge an UD case, as that they had not but decided whether or not the reason for loss of life was suicidal, homicidal, or unintended. “Nevertheless, as soon as the post-mortem decided homicide, significantly, within the RG Kar case, police might have suo motu registered an FIR underneath particular sections of the brand new legislation coping with homicide,” he mentioned.
Fellow prison lawyer Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee mentioned a UD case is usually registered when the reason for loss of life is unclear, however all indicators on this case pointed to homicide. Senior law enforcement officials defended the delay. A Kolkata police officer mentioned: “The UD case allowed us to start our investigation, together with inquest, seizure, and post-mortem.
The delay in submitting the formal FIR was on account of officers being occupied with legislation and order duties. When the officer in cost returned to the station, the FIR was filed in accordance with Part 111 of the Police Rules, Calcutta, 1968.”
