RG Kar case: CBI finds more procedural lapses in autopsy report

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified several more major procedural issues regarding the post-mortem of the victim in the rape and murder case linked to R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

Sources indicate that out of eight bodies examined at the morgue on August 9, only the body of the female doctor was autopsied after sunset, which typically violates established protocols. The victim's body was discovered in a seminar hall at the college on the morning of August 9.

Additionally, the autopsy was completed in just 70 minutes, which investigators find unusually quick given the case's severity. These factors raise concerns that the rapid autopsy and late timing may have been intentional, potentially to facilitate a quick cremation and prevent a second examination of the body.

The victim's parents expressed their desire to have their daughter's body preserved for at least a day, but their request was reportedly ignored by hospital officials. Furthermore, the language used in the post-mortem report has been criticised for being unprofessional and lacking the technical terminology typically expected in such documents.

Investigators are also troubled by inadequate lighting in the morgue during the autopsy, which compromised the quality of the video recording of the procedure. There are doubts about whether the videography was conducted properly, raising further concerns about the handling of the case.

Another point of contention is that the victim's parents requested to have a family member or acquaintance present in the morgue during the autopsy, but this plea was also dismissed by authorities.

Earlier this month, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose raised questions regarding the initial investigation conducted by Kolkata Police before the case was transferred to the CBI, one of which was the “hurried disposal of the body ignoring the wishes of the parents to retain it at least that day”.

Agency