THREE purported audio recordings of phone calls, allegedly made by RG Kar Medical College authorities on August 9 morning to the parents of the rape-murder victim asking them to report to the hospital, hit the public domain on Thursday and sparked a fresh controversy over “insensitivity” and “disinformation” of the institute’s management in breaking bad news. The changes in statements on the status of the victim made by an official in those phone calls, whose authenticity PTI has not individually verified, raise questions on whether the hospital was initially trying to cover up the ghastly crime. The caller, a woman who identified herself as the assistant superintendent of the hospital, reportedly dialed the parents of the victim from the same number thrice within a span of around 30 minutes asking their urgent presence at the facility.

 

“I am calling from RG Kar hospital. Can you come over immediately?” the caller could be heard telling the victim’s father when he picked his phone the first time around 10.53 that morning. The father responded, “Why? What has happened?” To this, the caller replied, “Your daughter has fallen a little ill. We are admitting her in the hospital. Can you come down quickly?” When the parent insisted on more details, the caller was heard saying,“Thosedetails onlydoctorscanprovide.We only managed to find your numberandcallyou.Please come down quickly. The patient has been admitted after falling ill.

 

The rest, the doctors will brief you after you arrive.” The worried mother of the victim could be heard asking from the background,“Issherunning a fever?” “Come over quickly,” was the caller’s reply. In the second phone call, she was heard saying, “Her conditioniscritical,verycritical. Please come over as soon as you can.” The third and final call was the one which pronounced the death of the victim, albeit with a twist. The clear changes in the hospital’s statement, from the victim “falling a little ill” to “very critical and admitted in emergency ward” to, finally,“mayhavediedbysuicide” have lefttheinvestigators to question whether “a carefully planned suicide plot was being hatched by the hospital authorities and policetocoverupthecrime”, an official said. DC Indira Mukherjee said the purported clips only vindicated police’s claim on who passed the “suicide” info. 

 

A TWO-DAY special session of the West Bengal Assembly was convened by the Government on September 2 to table and pass a Bill which would provide for capital punishment to convicted rapists, Parliamentary Affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said. The Bill would be tabled for discussion and passage on Tuesday, the second day of the special session, Speaker Biman Banerjee said. Themovecameadayafter Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeannouncedthatan amendmenttoexistinglaws will be passed in the State Assembly next week to ensure capital punishment for convicted rapists.

 

An alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month has thrown Bengalintosocialandpolitical turmoil. “Iamnot aware of thetitle of the Bill yet. But it will be tabled on Tuesday for discussion and passage by members. So farweare conveningatwo-dayspecialsession whichcouldbeextended if additional businesses for the House are included later,” Banerjee said. The monsoon session of the Bengal assembly was prorogued on August 5. “Since the session was prorogued and not adjournedsinedie,wedonot need the Governor’s permission to reconvene the House,” Chattopadhyay said. The minister added that the state Bill would “expedite the justice procedure that has been envisaged in theBharatiyaNyaySamhita” for cases of rape and forms of sexual assault.