In the wake of nationwide outrage over the tragic death of a doctor from RG Kar Medical College, Rehana Ahmed, mother of the late IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed, has openly criticized the Bengal Police. Rehana, who has been fighting for justice for nearly two years, expressed her deep frustration, stating, “This isn’t just about my son’s murder; it’s about the Bengal police’s continuous failure in handling such cases.”
Despite her health challenges, Rehana has been closely following the developments in the RG Kar case, ensuring her voice is heard. “The Bengal police did not support us, and now, once again, they have failed to act justly,” she said in a phone interview from Tinsukia, Assam.
Faizan, a 23-year-old IIT Kharagpur student, was found dead on campus, with initial reports labeling it a suicide. However, following the intervention of the Calcutta High Court and a subsequent postmortem, it was revealed that Faizan had been brutally murdered.
Rehana recounted, “We received no support from IIT Kharagpur officials, but we had faith in the Bengal police to stand by us and fulfill their duty. That trust was misplaced.”
“Like the IIT KGP authorities, the police also insisted that my son had taken his own life. But they failed to convince the court. They couldn’t explain how Faizan could have committed suicide. The first autopsy, conducted under Kharagpur police’s oversight, was poorly done. The police were concealing the truth that it was a murder. The court demanded answers and appointed forensic expert Dr. Rajiv Gupta, who called for a fresh autopsy, confirming that it was indeed a homicide.”
The High Court then set up a Special Investigative Team (SIT) led by senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K Jayaraman, along with two other members from the Bengal police, to take over the case from the Kharagpur police.
“From the beginning, neither the Kharagpur police nor the SIT did their job properly; otherwise, the culprits would have been caught, and justice would have been served. The Bengal police even challenged the High Court’s decision to establish the SIT, but the division bench rejected their appeal. Despite more than a year passing since its formation, the SIT has yet to arrest the perpetrators.”
In a separate incident, a female trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College. Her body was discovered in the college’s seminar hall just a week ago. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the heinous crime. The incident has sparked protests not only in Kolkata and Bengal but across the country. On the night of August 14, a large number of protesters, predominantly women, took to the streets under the “Reclaim the Night” movement. The case has now been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Rehana lamented that if the people of Bengal had shown the same resolve for Faizan’s case as they are for the RG Kar doctor and the previous case of Swapandip Kundu at Jadavpur, the police, particularly the SIT, might have been more effective.
“I have repeatedly said that the outcome of Faizan’s case will affect countless mothers whose children study or work in various institutions. Criminals will think twice before committing a murder on a campus,” she concluded.