In a case involving the death of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) in Kolkata, questions have arisen about the initial communication to the victim’s family, suggesting suicide despite clear indications of foul play. Colleagues of the deceased doctor have pointed fingers at the former principal, Sandip Ghosh, claiming that the decision to inform the parents of a suicide originated from his office.
On August 9, the victim’s parents received a distressing call from the hospital’s assistant superintendent around 10:53 am, informing them that their daughter had fallen ill. However, mere minutes later, they were informed that she had died by suicide. This sudden shift in the narrative raised immediate suspicions, especially among the doctor’s colleagues, who noted signs of sexual abuse and murder on her body.
Hospital insiders have alleged that shortly after the body was discovered around 9 am by an intern, a closed-door meeting was held in the very seminar hall where the body lay. This meeting, reportedly led by Ghosh, included at least two outsiders and senior hospital officials, during which the decision to relay the suicide narrative to the parents was allegedly made.
The Supreme Court has since questioned the rationale behind initially telling the family that their daughter had died by suicide, when evidence strongly suggested otherwise. The deceased doctor’s colleagues have openly challenged the hospital’s actions, with one stating, “Why were the parents misled when it was clearly a case of murder?”
The incident has not only cast a shadow over the hospital administration but has also led to significant backlash. Although Ghosh announced his resignation from medical education three days after the incident, he was swiftly appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC). However, before he could assume his new role, the Calcutta High Court ordered him to go on long leave.
The case continues to unfold, with both the medical community and the public demanding a thorough and impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind the doctor’s tragic death.