Kumar Bahukhandi
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday August 24 began lie detection tests on former RG Kar Medical and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and five others as part of their probe into the rape-murder of a woman medic at the institute and also registered a case of alleged financial irregularities at the same facility, officials said. The polygraph test on arrested key accused Sanjay Roy was postponed due to technical issues and the central probe agency will determine a new date soon, they added.
“The polygraph tests are being conducted on Ghosh and five others, including interns, doctors, and an person connected to Roy. Technical glitches prevented civic volunteer Roy’s test from being conducted as scheduled. We will soon decide when to carry out the test,” an officer said. A CBI source said the test on Roy may be held on Sunday at Presidency Correctional Home, where he is currently lodged.
Due to the time-consuming nature of the polygraph tests and the limited availability of devices — only two are currently available — it may take a few more days for the CBI to complete testing all seven persons involved, the source added. Additionally, on Saturday, the CBI interrogated over 15 people, including 10 police officers and civic volunteers, as part of their ongoing investigation into the brutal rape-murder of the medic. On the same day, the school Education Department in West Bengal issued showcause notices to three educational institutions – Baluhati High School, Baluhati Girls’ High School, and Bantra Rajlakshmi Girls’ School – for involving students in a rally during school hours in protest against the crime. The schools were given 24 hours to respond to the notices.
According to a school education department official, the rally, which took place on Thursday, involved not only students but also teachers and non-teaching staff, and was conducted in violation of regulations.
The CBI took over the investigation from Kolkata Police last week, following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Meanwhile, the agency on Saturday registered a case of alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College. It took over the investigation from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the West Bengal Government on the directions of Calcutta High Court.The Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to submit a progress report on the investigation within three weeks.
The High Court had given the directive for a CBI probe on the plea of former deputy superintendent of the hospital Akhtar Ali who had alleged financial irregularities in the hospital during the tenure of its former principal Sandip Ghosh and sought a probe by the central agencies. Earlier in the day, a team of senior state health department officials visited the hospital to meet the protesting junior doctors and urge them to resume work.
