A team of CBI officers turned up at the house and nursing home of Sudipto Roy, chairman of the Rogi Kalyan Samity at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, to question him about the conversation he had with Sandip Ghosh, former principal of the medical college, on the rape and murder of the junior doctor on August 9.

Roy was among the several persons, including the then officer-in-charge of Tala police station, whom Ghosh had called on his way to the medical college from his Beleghata house after hearing the news of the death, CBI sources said.

The Supreme Court had on Monday wanted to know how long it takes to reach the hospital from Ghosh’s house.

Roy, the Trinamul MLA from Serampore, had reached the hospital after receiving the call from Ghosh, agency officers said.

A three-member CBI team reached Roy’s house in Sinthee, where his nursing home is also located, and questioned him in the presence of his daughter for a little over an hour.

This was the first time the central agency questioned someone from the RG Kar administration in connection with the rape and murder of the post-graduate trainee of the chest medicine department.

Roy is the president of the West Bengal Medical Council, which has show-caused Ghosh over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the medical college. He is also a member of the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board.

Ghosh, who resigned as the RG Kar principal days after the rape and murder, and three others were arrested by the CBI on September 2 in connection with the alleged irregularities.

Sources in the CBI said Roy was questioned about what Ghosh had told him over the phone on August 9 and whether any discussion was held about what to be told to the victim’s parents.

The victim’s parents have said a woman who identified herself as the assistant superintendent of the hospital had called the family thrice on the morning of August 9.

During the first call, the parents were told to leave for the hospital immediately as their daughter had taken ill. During the second call they were told that her condition was critical and the final call was made to inform them that their daughter died by suicide.

The CBI did not want to officially comment on the questioning.

Roy later told reporters that he had received the call from Ghosh around 10am on August 9, when he was preparing to leave for RG Kar, where a meeting was to be held
at noon.

“I was shocked because my links with this institution are quite strong. My father was a faculty member there. I have graduated from RG Kar. I couldn’t believe it (the news of death) when I received the call,” Roy said.

Asked whether Rogi Kalyan Samity, whose chairman he is, was aware that a civic volunteer had access to the hospital’s wards, Roy said the Samity does not interfere with the hospital’s day-to-day functioning. “That is the job of the hospital authorities,” he said.

Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer, is in custody for the rape and murder.