Kolkata Doctor Rape Case: Timeline and Key Developments

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case: On August 9, a trainee doctor was found dead under brutal circumstances in the seminar hall at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. The doctor was discovered in a semi-naked state by a first-year postgraduate student at around 9:30 am. The student immediately notified his colleagues and senior doctors.

Early Police Response

• 10:10 am: The local police were informed by a police outpost at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The victim was found on a wooden platform in a seminar room, as noted in the police’s General Diary Entry.
• 10:30 am: The crime scene was cordoned off by arriving police officers.
• 11:00 am to 11:30 am: A team of senior police officials, including forensic experts and photographers, arrived at the scene. The victim’s family was contacted and asked to come to the hospital.

Family Notification and Investigation

• 11:15 am: The victim's parents received a call informing them of their daughter’s “suicide.”
• 12:44 pm: The Assistant Superintendent of the hospital reached the crime scene and completed the video recording. The victim was declared dead by an on-duty doctor after examination.
• 1:00 pm: The victim’s parents arrived at the hospital.
• 1:47 pm: Medical and death certificates were prepared and given to the police. An unnatural death case was filed after injury marks were found on the victim’s body.
• 4:00 pm: A Judicial Magistrate arrived at the hospital, and an inquest began in the presence of the victim’s family and colleagues.
• 6:10 pm to 7:10 pm: Forensic doctors conducted the post-mortem examination.
• 8:00 pm: The police and forensic team performed 3D mapping of the crime scene and seized around 40 exhibits.
• 10:45 pm: The victim’s body was handed over to her family after the post-mortem.
• 11:45 pm: The police registered an FIR based on the victim’s father’s complaint.

Follow-Up Actions

• August 10: Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy, the primary accused. An autopsy confirmed that the victim was murdered after being sexually assaulted.
• August 11: The West Bengal government transferred the Superintendent of RG Kar Medical College due to alleged lapses in handling the case.
• August 12: Professor Sandip Ghosh, the principal of RG Kar Medical College, resigned amid protests and was quickly reinstated at Calcutta National Medical College.
• August 13: The Calcutta High Court intervened, ordering an extended leave for the former RG Kar Principal. The CBI took over the investigation and custody of the accused.
• August 15: A group of unidentified men disrupted an overnight protest by doctors at RG Kar Medical College.
• August 17: The Indian Medical Association requested the Prime Minister’s intervention and called for a one-day nationwide strike by doctors.
• August 18-20: Protests continued across India, with doctors striking and patients facing difficulties due to the disruptions.
• August 20: The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the case and formed a 10-member task force to develop a national safety protocol for medical professionals.
• August 22: The Supreme Court criticized the Kolkata Police for delays in the case, questioning why the post-mortem results were available by 6:10 pm but the unnatural death report was only sent to the police station at 11:30 pm.

Also read: Kolkata rape case: CBI submitted status report, Judge said never seen such case in 30 years