Kolkata rape-murder victim's parents claim cops offered money, pushed for hasty cremation

The parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College Hospital have alleged that the Kolkata police tried to bribe them. The father of the postgraduate doctor, who was found dead inside the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9, made the allegations while attending the protest to support the junior doctors fighting for justice for their daughter.

Pointing fingers at a senior police officer, the victim's father said: "When our daughter's body was brought home,  DC Indira Mukherjee took us inside the house and tried to give money. We declined it," he said.

He added the police tried to push for hasty cremation of the body in an apparent bid to suppress the case. "The police, from the very beginning, tried to hush up the case. We were not allowed to see the body and had to wait at the police station while the body was taken for post-mortem examinations. Later, when the body was handed over to us, a senior police official offered us money, which we immediately declined," the father of the deceased doctor said.

He also accused the Kolkata Police of lying to the media. "An attempt was made to get a signature on a white paper. I tore up the paper," the father said, questioning the undue haste shown by the police.

The victim's mother, who attended the protests, said she wanted the criminals to be sleepless like me." As long as we don't get justice, let the movement continue," she added.

Also read: RG Kar hospital former principal Sandip Ghosh took 20% cut on every tender: Report

'Reclaim the Night'

The city also witnessed thousands of women rallying, seeking justice for the doctor who was raped and murdered at a hospital. The "Reclaim the Night" campaign began at 9 pm on the streets of Kolkata and residents joined the protest by turning off their lights for an hour and descending onto the streets with candles in hand.

The "Reclaim the Night" movement, largely driven by social media, gained momentum as protests kicked off at 11:30 pm. Interestingly, no political party flags were seen as the participants chanted, "We want justice."

Women from all walks of life, students, professionals and homemakers, joined the protest not only in Kolkata but in other regions as well. The movement spread to other key locations, including Berhampore, Chinsurah, Santiniketan, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman, Siliguri, Barasat, Barrackpore, Rajarhat-Newtown, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri.