The body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was discovered in the seminar hall of Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during the early hours of August 9, sparking nationwide outrage. The tragic incident, initially presented to the family as a suicide, is now being investigated as a rape and murder case.
A series of phone calls that gradually informed the victim’s parents about their daughter’s condition reveal a harrowing and unclear picture of the events. The first call came from someone identifying themselves as the assistant superintendent of the hospital, who conveyed the urgency of the situation without providing any clear information.
Call 1:
Father: Who is speaking?
Caller: I am calling from RG Kar Hospital.
Father: What has happened?
Caller: She is unwell. Can you come immediately?
Father: But why, what has happened?
Caller: She is unwell. She has been admitted. Can you come immediately?
Father: But what has happened? At least tell us.
Caller: That doctor will say. I was given your number and asked to inform the family.
Father: But please tell us what has happened.
Caller: Patient is unwell, please come as soon as possible. Rest, the doctor will inform you.
Mother: Does she have a fever?
Caller: You all just come soon, as soon as possible.
Father: Is her condition not good?
Caller: The condition is bad, please come as soon as possible.
The second call added to the family’s growing anxiety as the caller, still reluctant to provide details, urged them to reach the hospital quickly.
Call 2:
Father: But please tell me what has happened?
Caller: Her condition is very bad. Please come as soon as possible.
Father: But what has happened?
Caller: That the doctor will tell, please come soon.
Father: Who are you?
Caller: I am the assistant superintendent. I am not a doctor.
Father: Is there no doctor there?
Caller: We have brought your daughter to the Emergency. You come and contact us.
Mother: But what happened to her? She was on duty.
Caller: You just come quickly, as soon as possible.
The third and final call brought the devastating news that the young doctor had died by suicide, according to the hospital’s initial report. However, further investigation revealed that she was a victim of rape and murder, not suicide, as initially suggested.
Call 3:
Caller: I was telling you earlier. The matter is that your daughter has died by suicide. She is dead. Police are here, we are all here, please come as soon as possible.
Father: Yes.
This revelation was a brutal shock to her family, who had been desperately seeking answers. The ambiguous and cold communication only deepened their anguish. The case, initially handled by the Kolkata Police, has since been transferred to the CBI. Civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy has been arrested. Roy and the former RG Kar Medical College principal, Sandip Ghosh, have undergone polygraph tests as part of the ongoing investigation.
The tragic death of this young doctor has sparked unprecedented protests across the nation, marking the longest-running doctors’ protest since the 1980s. The outcry against the alleged rape and murder has exposed serious flaws within the healthcare system and ignited a nationwide demand for justice.
