Union Minister Murugan strongly condemns Kolkata rape-murder, criticises Bengal govt

New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): Union Minister L Murugan strongly condemned the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata and criticised the West Bengal government for “failure” to take action.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Murugan said, “It’s a strongly condemnable incident. The West Bengal chief minister should have taken severe action against the accused, but they failed. That’s where the CBI entered and CBI filed the case and CBI started the inquiry.”

The postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The rape and murder of the trainee doctor have sparked widespread outrage and protests across various cities, with calls for justice and punishment for the accused.

Demanding justice, prominent artists of the Bengal music industry on Monday protested against the trainee doctor’s murder. Several artists including actor Saheb Chatterjee, radio personality Mir Afsar Ali and others participated in the protests to express their outrage.

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder case, with a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled to hear it on August 20.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier. On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

West Bengal government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday to conduct an enquiry/investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities in R G Kar Hospital during the period between January 2021 till date.

According to a Home and Hill Affairs Department notification, the SIT will have the liberty to access any relevant document from govt departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the enquiry. It further said that the SIT is directed to submit its first report to the State Government within a month from the date of its constitution.

The SIT will be headed by IG Pranav Kumar and will be assisted by Murshidabad Range DIG Waquar Reza, DIG in West Bengal CID Soma Das Mitra and Kolkata (Central) DC Indira Mukherjee.