The Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI told a special Sealdah court in Kolkata that no evidence had yet been found to support the claim that the 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was gangraped, but the investigation is ongoing, The Indian Express reported.
The CBI sought an extension of the remand for former RG Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and former Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal, citing evidence tampering and the need to explore all possibilities.
Both accused had been in the CBI custody for three days and were produced before the court, which extended their remand until September 20.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the CBI lawyer stated that Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondol are subjected to further investigation regarding call recording, DVR, CCTV cameras, and other data related to the case and that custodial interrogation was required in this case.
“They are subjected to further investigation regarding call recording, DVR CCTV, and other data. We want custodial interrogation. Things are in process. Custodial interrogation is required regarding data,” the CBI lawyer said.
He further said both of them were not at all cooperating during interrogation and further prayed for three days of CBI custody.
Before the start of the hearing of this case, the Sealdah Bar advocates requested the judge not to grant bail to Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondol.
“That during their police custody remand from 15.09.2024 to 17.09.2024, they were subjected to interrogation/further interrogation based on the CDRs of their mobile numbers. During the said process, they were confronted with the relevant records and witnesses. The said process is still continuing. That the DVR and Hard Disk containing the CCTV footage of Tala Police Station has also been collected and data of the same is required to be extracted on the basis of which further custodial interrogation of accused persons is required,” the court said in its order, The Indian Express reported.
“…during custodial interrogation of both the accused persons, some more suspected mobile numbers have come to light and the CDRs of the same are under collection for confrontation with accused persons. That the CCTV footage of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital have been seized and the data have been examined/extracted by CFSL, Kolkata. The interrogation of accused persons with regard to the said extracted data pertaining to movements of various persons/suspected persons (as per CCTV footage during the relevant period) is required to be confronted with the accused persons,” the court order stated.
The CBI counsel also told the court that details of “each and every phone call exchanged” by Ghosh and Mondal is required to be verified with the suspected calls to corroborate their versions “with a view to explore the possibility of criminal conspiracy hatched among main accused and co-accused persons, if any”, the newsapaper added.
The CBI also said both the accused “facilitated cremation of the woman doctor” in a hurried manner, while the family members specifically demanded a second autopsy.
Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in connection with the rape and murder case on September 15. Ghosh was arrested earlier by the CBI on September 2 for his alleged involvement in the financial irregularities at RG Kar hospital. Three of his accomplices have also been arrested by the central agency.
A Kolkata Police civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the rape and murder case which is now being investigated by the CBI on an order of the Calcutta High Court.