The NCW sought that “in light of the serious lapses uncovered” immediate corrective measures should be taken by the authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) conducted a preliminary inquiry into the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, revealing significant shortcomings in the investigation process. The commission expressed concerns over evidence tampering, pointing out that the site of the incident was undergoing sudden renovations, potentially compromising crucial evidence. The NCW emphasized the urgent need for proper security measures at the hospital, highlighting the lack of adequate infrastructure to ensure the safety of interns, doctors, and nurses working night shifts. In a scathing report, the commission criticized the failure to seal the crime scene promptly, highlighting the importance of preserving evidence in such cases.
The committee’s preliminary findings identified critical issues in the hospital’s security and infrastructure related to the case.
Pointing out “inadequate security”, it said, “No security guards were present during the incident, and there was insufficient security coverage for on-call duty interns, doctors, and nurses during night shifts.”
“The questioning of the former principal, who resigned after the incident, remains incomplete. The inquiry committee urges a thorough and expedited investigation,” NCW noted.
The inquiry also noticed poor facilities. “The hospital lacks basic amenities for female doctors and nurses, with washrooms in poor condition, no security measures, and inadequate lighting,” the report stated. It also highlighted that “there is no adequate protection or safety for on-call female duty interns, nurses, and female doctors.”
The NCW sought that “in light of the serious lapses uncovered” immediate corrective measures should be taken by the authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.
NCW Inquiry Committee uncovers lapses in security, infrastructure, and investigation in Kolkata rape-murder case of trainee doctor. pic.twitter.com/GoItC2Ml04
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024
The findings come after the Commission took suo motu cognizance of the incident. The NCW formed a two-member Inquiry Committee, consisting of NCW member Delina Khondgup and advocate Soma Chaudhary from the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority. The Committee arrived in Kolkata on August 12 and has since been rigorously examining the circumstances surrounding the trainee doctor’s death.
A 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day.
Amid the ongoing protests over the incident, some unidentified miscreants entered the hospital premises shortly after midnight on Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of a woman doctor was found last week.