Kolkata doctor rape case: As police defend crowd at RG Kar crime scene, IMA asks ‘when did he become expert?’

The West Bengal unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised questions on the Kolkata Police clarification on a crowded seminar hall at RG Kar where the body of the trainee doctor was found on August 9. The IMA has specifically pointed fingers at the presence of one Dr Avik De who has been identified by the Kolkata Police as a fingerprint expert.

Days after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, a video and pictures showing dozens of people at the crime scene has raised questions about how so many were allowed into the seminar hall. It is also alleged that the crime scene was tampered with.

As the video went viral, the Kolkata Police clarified that the crime scene was “not compromised” and everyone seen in the pictures was authorised to be there.

Indira Mukherjee, DCP Central, Kolkata Police said, “It has been alleged that there are probably some people who were not supposed to be there and there has been some tampering of evidence. We have taken a still from that video... We have been able to identify each and everyone who was there in this picture... Right behind the cordon is the dead body... We have a videographer from the detective department, Commissioner of Police, Additional CP-1, Lady Police and forensic officials here. All are known to us and identified."

“There is also another picture and a new set of people. We have the witness doctor, FSL, fingerprint expert, the ACP of the detective department, the videographer, additional CP -1 and the forensic officials. This picture or the video is of the time when the inquest process was over... At no point in time could anybody enter this area who was not authorized. Nobody entered who was not associated with the investigation process,” she said.

The IMA has demanded to know about Dr Avik De, seen in pictures wearing red shirt, pointing out that he is a first year post graduate trainee of Surgery Department of SSKM Hospital. In a post, the IMA also said that his admission in PG has been controversial.

“Please let us know when the great Dr Avik De became Finger Print Expert? (As stated by Kolkata Police). As we all know, he is a 1st year Post Graduate Trainee of Surgery Department of SSKM Hospital. We also know that there are lot of controversies regarding his getting admission in PG course. It is said that though Dr Avik De worked as RMO in Burdwan Medical College, but the then Principal of that College Dr Kaustav Nayek gave him a false Certificate mentioning that he worked in Anamoy Hospital, just to get him Service Quota for PG admission, manipulating all the official papers. And in return without declaring the result of the 1st interview or cancelling the same, Dr Kaustav Nayek was made DME through a 2nd interview, superseding many other senior & eligible Principals,” the Bengal branch of IMA said.

The doctors body also requested the investigation agency to identify the doctor.