Amid nationwide protests and outrage over the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has assigned two of its most senior and notable female officers to assist with the case.
Sampat Meena, Additional Director at the CBI, will lead the 25-member team investigating the alleged rape and murder of the woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month.
Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand, has a distinguished record, having led high-profile cases such as the 2020 Hathras rape-murder and the 2017 Unnao rape case, earning accolades for her thorough investigations.
Joining Meena is officer Seema Pahuja, who was also part of the Hathras investigation team. Pahuja will be handling the ground-level investigation in the Kolkata case.
Currently serving as an Additional Superintendent with the CBI and a Police Medal recipient, Pahuja has been associated with the agency’s special crime unit for some time.
The top CBI officials have taken charge of a case that has reignited the debate on women’s safety in the workplace, sparked massive protests, and compelled the Bengal government to announce a series of measures for the safety of women doctors on night duty. These measures include establishing designated safe zones and separate restrooms.
The trainee doctor, whose body was discovered at the seminar hall of a state-run hospital on August 9, was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty. This led to the arrest of a civic volunteer by the Kolkata Police the following day.
However, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation to the CBI on August 13, with the agency commencing its probe on August 14.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the probe agency was granted permission to conduct a polygraph test on Sanjay Roy, the only person arrested so far in the case.
The CBI received local court approval to conduct a polygraph test on the accused, days after performing a psychoanalysis test on him.
Sources indicate that Roy’s narco test is crucial due to numerous inconsistencies in his statements during interrogation by CBI officers. Roy, who was posted at the hospital’s police outpost, was arrested based on CCTV footage. While local media reported that Roy confessed to the crime, there is widespread speculation that the rape and murder could not have been committed by a single individual.
(With inputs from agencies)
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