Kolkata: In a major development in the Kolkata rape and murder case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, and former principal of RG Kar Medical College, Sandeep Ghosh. The arrests, made on Saturday night, come in connection with the alleged destruction of evidence related to the case. On Sunday, both were presented before Second Judicial Magistrate Pamela Gupta at Sealdah Court, where they were remanded to CBI custody for three days.
The case involves the tragic death of a trainee doctor whose body was discovered at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. A post-mortem report revealed that the victim had been raped and murdered. Following this, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was initially arrested by Kolkata Police in connection with the case.
As the investigation progressed, the CBI took over and questioned nearly 100 individuals, including Sandeep Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal. Now, the CBI has arrested both men, claiming they were involved in a conspiracy to destroy critical evidence. In court, the CBI presented evidence of a phone conversation between Ghosh and Mondal on the night of the incident, casting doubt on their roles in the case.
During cross-examination, however, Abhijit Mondal denied having spoken with Sandeep Ghosh that night. The CBI lawyer argued in court that the call detail records (CDR) suggest otherwise and could point to a larger conspiracy behind the crime. The prosecution requested face-to-face interrogation of both Ghosh and Mondal to uncover the truth.
The CBI further claimed that Abhijit Mondal, as a police officer, failed to perform his duties diligently during the investigation. Key evidence, such as the autopsy, fingerprints, and footprints, was destroyed, and Mondal allegedly did not take the necessary precautions in a case involving rape and murder.
Mondal’s lawyer argued that his client had cooperated with the investigation, responding to six notices from authorities, and had been on medical leave during some of the proceedings. He also questioned why Mondal was arrested on Saturday when there had been no major developments in the questioning. The lawyer sought bail for Mondal, claiming that the arrest was unjustified and procedural grounds were not followed.
While the CBI has clarified that they do not currently view Mondal as an accused in the main charge, they sought three days of custody to continue their investigation. The prosecution stressed that they are committed to uncovering the truth and do not want any tensions between the CBI and the police to obscure justice.
Initially, the incident was considered a suicide, but the investigation quickly revealed signs of physical abuse. The CBI has pointed to significant delays in seizing evidence, which implicates both Ghosh, as the hospital’s principal at the time, and Mondal, who was responsible for overseeing the investigation.
With the arrests of Mondal and Ghosh, the case continues to unfold, and the CBI remains focused on revealing the full extent of the conspiracy behind the trainee doctor’s death.
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