NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the there was an attempt to cover up the Kolkata doctor rape and murder by the police alleging that the crime scene was altered. The Bengal government denied these allegations saying that the whole procedure was taped.
"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 11.45pm," solicitor general Tushar Mehta who was appearing for the CBI told the apex court.
Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, countered Mehta's claims, saying that everything at the crime scene was recorded on video and that nothing had been tampered with. He further questioned if CBI had made any progress in the case given that only one arrest has been made so far, that too by Kolkata police.
The solicitor general also said that when a call was placed to the Tala police station on the morning of August 9, the doctors informed the police that the victim was unconscious, even though she had already died.
"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 led by CJI Chandrachud.
This came after West Bengal police commissioner Vineet Goyal denied informing the victim's family that she had committed suicide.
"Why is rumour-mongering going on even now? It is wrong that we informed the victim's family that she had committed suicide. It is wrong that 150mg of semen were found in her body," he had said.
The commissioner had also said that the postmortem was videotaped and CBI had full access to it.
"A three-member team conducted the postmortem, and it is on video. The CBI has access to the postmortem video. There is no doubt as far as transparency is concerned," he had informed.
The apex court had earlier criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for its delay in filing the FIR and for permitting thousands of miscreants to vandalize RG Kar Hospital during a midnight protest on August 15.
"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 11.45pm," solicitor general Tushar Mehta who was appearing for the CBI told the apex court.
Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, countered Mehta's claims, saying that everything at the crime scene was recorded on video and that nothing had been tampered with. He further questioned if CBI had made any progress in the case given that only one arrest has been made so far, that too by Kolkata police.
The solicitor general also said that when a call was placed to the Tala police station on the morning of August 9, the doctors informed the police that the victim was unconscious, even though she had already died.
"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 led by CJI Chandrachud.
This came after West Bengal police commissioner Vineet Goyal denied informing the victim's family that she had committed suicide.
"Why is rumour-mongering going on even now? It is wrong that we informed the victim's family that she had committed suicide. It is wrong that 150mg of semen were found in her body," he had said.
The commissioner had also said that the postmortem was videotaped and CBI had full access to it.
"A three-member team conducted the postmortem, and it is on video. The CBI has access to the postmortem video. There is no doubt as far as transparency is concerned," he had informed.
The apex court had earlier criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for its delay in filing the FIR and for permitting thousands of miscreants to vandalize RG Kar Hospital during a midnight protest on August 15.
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