In more than four days since the CBI began its probe into the rape and murder of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, it quizzed several people for hours, visited the crime scene and expanded its team but made very little visible progress.
The only arrest till 9pm on Saturday was a civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police, picked up the day after the crime.
There was a strong buzz about former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghoshs’s imminent arrest but that did not happen till Saturday.
The CBI has been working together on several fronts.
On Saturday, a team visited the fourth battalion barracks in Salt Lake where arrested accused Sanjay Roy used to live.
After the alleged crime, Roy returned to the barracks on August 9, the Kolkata Police had said.
Some fresh evidence samples packed in containers were sent for tests on Saturday.
Ghosh, who was grilled for several hours at the CBI office in the CGO Complex in Salt Lake, was allowed to go home early on Saturday.
Ghosh was summoned again on Saturday. He was at the CBI office for 12 hours and left around 11.15pm.
He has been asked to come again on Sunday at 11am.
Several others were quizzed on Saturday, some for the second time.
At least two Kolkata Police officers attached to the probe or posted at the RG Kar outpost visited the CBI office.
Officers in the CBI said they were working “day and night” to ascertain the sequence of events.
The CBI will also engage a psychiatrist to help them in the probe.
The crime was reported on Friday (August 9) morning. Kolkata Police arrested their civic volunteer the next day and identified him as the prime suspect. On August 13, Calcutta High Court ordered the police to hand over the probe to the central agency.
The reports from the central forensic laboratory that can ascertain if the crime was committed by more than one have yet to arrive.
Four young doctors who had dinner with the victim before her murder have faced CBI interrogation at least twice in the past four days.
They were questioned thrice by the police earlier.
The central agency’s officers said they started the probe based on the case diary and the evidence handed over to them.
“We have visited the PO (place of occurrence) several times just to ensure that no point is left out,” said an officer.
Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal had on Friday requested people to have faith in the CBI, which many could not with the
Kolkata Police.
“The case has gone to CBI. Let’s have trust in the agency that is investigating this case. They will also come up with scientific evidence. Whatever we had to prove in whatever little time we had, our officers have done everything possible. The agency would find out any loopholes, any deliberate evidence destruction or anything which our team might have done,” Goyal said, responding to questions on allegations of Kolkata Police tampering with evidence.
“We are liable for legal action if there is something of this kind. If there is anybody in our group who has done anything wrong, we are liable for it. There is a different investigating agency. Why are people so impatient? Have faith in the new investigating agency,” he added.
Law-and-order report
The Union ministry of home affairs has sought a two-hourly law-and-order situation report from all states in the wake of the RG Kar crime. The states have been asked to submit their reports starting 4pm on Saturday.