In the shadow of death: Kolkata doctor's rape-murder puts focus on RG Kar hospital's dark history

The horrific rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar has also put a spotlight on the unnatural deaths the state government-run institute has seen in its 138-year history.

On August 9, a 31-year-old post-graduate student was found raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital, igniting nationwide protests in the days to come.

The incident has also put a spotlight on the unnatural deaths the state government-run institute has seen in its 138-year history.

In 2023, an intern there died of 'drug overdose'. A case of unnatural death was registered with the police pointing to antidepressant drug being the cause of death, The Times of India had reported. Cops at the time found no suicide note but ruled out any foul play in the matter.

In 2020, a 25-year-old junior doctor allegedly killed herself by jumping off the emergency building. As per the police, she'd jumped from the 6th floor. The Indian Express citing sources had said that the doctor was suffering from depression.

"...the body...was found on the ground outside the same emergency building where the body of the August 9 victim was found at the third-floor seminar hall of the chest department," Hindustan Times reported a doctor from the hospital say.

The doctor added that no suicide note was found on the victim but 'it was said' that she jumped, driven by depression.

Another doctor, leading a protest for the All India Democratic Students Organisation remarked that there was no stir in 2020 due to Covid, and the matter died down in a few days.

In 2016, the severely decomposed body of an RG Kar professor was found in his South Dum Dum apartment. The 54-year-old was reported missing on a Thursday and was found on Sunday with his apartment door locked from inside.

Blood stains were found and there were bruises on his face. While cops did not rule out suicide at the time, they suspected cardiac arrest to be the cause of death.

Then, in 2003, a house staff there killed himself by cutting his veins and jumping off the roof of the main hostel building. The cops found no suicide note or any other indication as to why the person would have taken his life. A third-year student at the time had told TOI that the institute had its 'share of scandals.'

Speaking to HT Dr Suvankar Chatterjee -- a former student of RG Kar -- recalled that there was no agitation after the 2003 case but the 2001 unnatural death of one Soumitra Biswas had rocked the institute.

The fourth year medical student was found hanging by the neck in his hostel room. TOI reported students say that a deadly cocktail of pornography, prostitution, and sleazy deals with women had resulted in the doctor's 'murder'.

A doctor, currently attached to RG Kar, told HT "It was widely alleged that Biswas was murdered for protesting against a racket comprising a section of students and hospital staff who were involved in all sorts of illegal activities including shooting adult videos in some specific hostel rooms. Sex workers used to be hired and brought into the premises for this."

The doctor alleged that 'some powerful leaders of the then ruling CPI(M) protected the racketeers.'

The parents of the August 9 victim has also alleged that their daughter was 'targetted' and one of her colleagues hinted at a possible drug siphoning ring in the girl's department that the victim had been trying to expose.