The CBI alleged in the Supreme Court on Thursday that there was an attempt to cover up the rape and killing of a post-graduate medic at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by the local police as the crime scene was altered by the time the federal agency took over the probe.
Appearing in the court on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that senior doctors of the hospital as well as the victim's colleagues had asked for videography, which means even they had felt that there was a cover-up.
"We entered the probe on the fifth day. Before that, whatever was collected by the local police was given to us. The investigation itself was a challenge because the scene of offence was altered. The FIR was registered only after the (victim's) cremation at 11:45 pm.
"First, the parents of the victim were informed by the deputy superintendent (of the hospital) that she was not well. When they reached the hospital, they were told that she had committed suicide..... Fortunately, the colleagues of the deceased insisted for videography. This suggests that they were suspecting a cover-up," Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The solicitor general further submitted that when a call was made to the Tala police station in the morning of August 9, the doctors told the cops that the victim was unconscious, although she was already dead.
Appearing in the court on behalf of the West Bengal government, senior advocate Kapil Sibal opposed Mehta's submissions, saying everything was videographed and nothing was altered at the crime scene.
Sibal said the Kolkata Police followed the procedure scrupulously and the CBI's status report only attempts to muddy the waters.
He said the CBI must inform the court what progress it has made in the case in the last one week.
During the hearing, Mehta criticised Sibal for allegedly laughing while he was pointing out the gaps in the registration of the FIR by the police.
"A girl has lost her life in the most inhuman and undignified manner. Somebody has died. Do not at least laugh," Mehta told Sibal.
The solicitor general said this is not an attempt to muddy the waters but to remove mud from the waters because the situation involved is delicate.
Sibal said everybody acknowledges that the incident is "tragic and barbaric".
Terming the incident "horrific", the apex court had excoriated the West Bengal government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of miscreants to vandalise the state-run hospital.
The rape and killing of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the hospital has sparked nationwide protests.
The medic's body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department in the morning of August 9. A civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police was arrested in connection with the case the following day.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.