Kolkata, May 15 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday announced the suspension of three senior IPS officers in connection with the rape and murder of a lady junior doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024, ordering departmental probes against all three. The suspended officers are former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, former Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division) Abhishek Gupta, and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) Indira Mukherjee. Adhikari, who also holds charge of the state home department, said the main complaints against the officers included mishandling of the investigation and failure to take proper action including filing an FIR. He also announced that the role of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the matter would be reviewed, and alleged that the victim’s mother was offered money on behalf of the state government, based on reports received from various media organisations.
The Chief Minister outlined the scope of the parallel state probe, stating that WhatsApp chats would be examined, cost lists checked, and it would be investigated whether the then Chief Minister or any former state minister was contacted in connection with the matter. He also flagged that one deputy commissioner of Kolkata Police had been addressing media on the RG Kar case without any written authorisation, describing her body language and words at press conferences as “not acceptable.” Adhikari clarified that the ongoing CBI probe into the matter would continue unaffected by the parallel state investigation. The brutal incident had triggered massive protests across West Bengal and beyond, spreading to other states and countries, with demands for the resignation of Goyal and Gupta having been raised at the time over their shoddy handling of the investigation. Facing immense public pressure, former CM Mamata Banerjee had transferred Goyal and Gupta but retained Mukherjee as Deputy Commissioner of Police.