Initial autopsy points to sexual assault, murder of woman trainee doctor found in Kolkata hospital

Kolkata: The initial autopsy of the post-graduate trainee doctor, whose body was found at a state-run hospital here on Friday, indicated that she was murdered after being sexually assaulted, police said.

It also ruled out suicide, they said, adding that a case has now been registered at the Tala Police Station.

"This is definitely not a case of suicide; the woman was murdered following sexual assault," a police officer told PTI.

A copy of the initial autopsy report is with PTI.

According to the four-page report, there was bleeding from the woman’s private parts, with injury marks in other parts of the body.

"There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth, injuries over the face and nail. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries in her belly, left leg… neck, in her right hand, ring finger and… lips," it said.

Two lady witnesses and the woman’s mother were present during the autopsy, which was conducted on-camera.

Another senior officer of Kolkata Police said the crime took place between 3-6 am.

"Her neck bone was also found broken. It seems that she was first strangulated and then smothered to death. We are waiting for the full report of the autopsy, which will help us identify the culprits," he said.

The Kolkata Police has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), including members of the homicide department, among others, to probe the crime.

Earlier in the day, the semi-nude body of the woman, a post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor, was found inside the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the metropolis.

The deceased, a second-year student of the chest medicine department, was on duty on Thursday night.

Her father has alleged that she was raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and efforts are on to “hide the truth”.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, sources said, telephoned the parents of the woman and assured them of appropriate action against the culprits.

A doctor of the hospital, who did not want to be named, said, "She had dinner with her juniors around 2 am. She then went to the seminar room since there is no separate on-call room to take some rest. In the morning, we found her body there.” Five people, who were on duty with her on Thursday night, have been interrogated, police said.

Health Secretary NS Nigam and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the hospital and held a meeting with senior officials of the medical establishment.

The hospital authorities constituted a three-member panel to probe into the death of the doctor.

Meanwhile, PGT doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have stopped work in all departments, except the emergency ward, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

Several student associations also took out a rally, demanding a swift probe into her death.

A number of opposition BJP leaders, including MLA Agnimitra Paul, visited the hospital, too, and called for an independent investigation under a magistrate.

Ruling Trinamool Congress leader Santanu Sen told reporters: “We want a fair, transparent and thorough probe into the entire incident.

The Mamata Banerjee administration has always been in favour of safety and security of women, said Sen, a former national president of the Indian Medical Association.

A senior member of the Association of Health Service Doctors, Dr Manas Gumta, alleged that there were attempts to "suppress" the matter.