Kolkata: A report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) says its team found no ‘signs’ of ‘struggle’ in the seminar room of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a woman doctor was murdered on August 9, sparked new protests. by medical students

“Evidence of a possible struggle of the victim with the assailant or a fight between them was missing on the wooden stage mattress and in the adjacent area inside the seminar room,” the report of the CFSL, published late Monday evening.

HT has reviewed the 12-page report prepared by a five-member team of CFSL. The report is dated September 11, 2024.

“Except for the mattress kept on the wooden platform, the CFSL team did not find any biological stains anywhere, neither on the wooden platform, nor on the wooden table kept nearby, nor on the floor of the seminar room,” the report states.

The team inspected the crime scene on August 14, a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case under the Calcutta High Court. By then, the Kolkata Police SIT had already visited the crime scene and collected the evidence.

The CFSL report also raised questions about how someone could have entered the seminar room, committed a crime, and left without anyone noticing.

“There is less possibility that someone could enter the seminar room (crime scene) unnoticed to have committed an offense,” the report said.

According to the report, the seminar room in which the doctor was found dead was in the tuberculosis department on the third floor. There was a 24-hour nursing station on the path to the seminar room, followed by patient rooms on one side.

The CFSL report lamented that the crime scene “was not in a well-preserved condition” and that there was evidence of “disturbance.”

The report also points out that the door to the seminar room was closed with a piece of cloth attached to the door latch and was not sealed.

The leak of the CFSL report has raised concerns about the CBI’s ability to establish the case against Sanjay Roy, the local police civic volunteer who was first arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10 for the rape and the murder of the doctor, in court. CBI filed a chargesheet against Roy, alleging that Roy committed the crime when the doctor fell asleep in the seminar room during a break.

“The CBI is one of the leading investigative agencies in India. But we want to ask the agency what it has to say about the forensic report. If this is true, what is the place of the main accused, Sanjay Roy, who was arrested for rape and murder of the doctor? Where is the real crime scene,” said Aniket Mahata, a young doctor who became the face of the month-long doctors’ protest in Kolkata.

The CBI, which took over the case from Kolkata Police, later arrested Sandip Ghosh, former principal of the medical college, and Abhijit Mondal, former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, for tampering with evidence to hush up the affair.

They were released on bail on December 13 after the CBI failed to file the charge sheet against them within the stipulated 90 days.

“We will not stop until justice is served. Tomorrow around 8 p.m., we will light candles and make a vow to continue our fight for our sister Abhaya,” said one of the agitating doctors, according to PTI, during a protest to demand justice for the murdered doctor.

The protesters staged their demonstrations about 50 feet from Dorina Crossing on the Esplanade in central Kolkata.