Kolkata: The Sealdah sessions court criticised Kolkata police, particularly officers from Tala police station, for their “mishandling” of the investigation into the rape and murder of a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Aug last year.
Judge Anirban Das highlighted Monday in his judgment several lapses and directed the police commissioner to address the “illegal acts” of his officers.
“I am of the view that if the officers of Tala PS took proper initiative by applying their intellect at the very first time, the matter would not become so complicated,” the judgment reads, pointing to the failure of police to act promptly and effectively.
The court also urged the police commissioner to be “strict” about the “indifferent attitude” of the officers and called for better training to prevent such negligence in the future.
SI Subrata Chatterjee at Tala police station was among those hauled up for the way the general diary (GD) was filed. “This evidence of one SI (Chatterjee) is an eye-opener that police stations are treating the cases in a very indifferent manner. I condemn such acts of SI Subrata Chatterjee,” the judgment reads.
The court also questioned the delay in allowing the victim’s parents to lodge a complaint, criticising police for keeping them waiting until 6pm although the body was found the morning on Aug 9.
ASI Anup Dutta, under whose supervision the civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was working, was reprimanded for his role in the case. Kolkata police arrested Roy on Aug 10, CBI assumed charge of the case three days later, and the trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment Monday.
An additional officer-in-charge (OC) was called out for mishandling crucial evidence, particularly for taking the victim’s mobile from Roy on Aug 9 and leaving it unattended at Tala police station. “Her action… is a very curious one,” the judgment reads.
