Kolkata Rape Case: Lawyer claims Mamata’s supporters posed as doctors, forged signatures to affect SC proceedings

Bikashranjan Bhattacharya, the lawyer representing the family of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has accused fraudsters of deceiving the victim’s family. In a Facebook post dated August 20th, he claimed, “Upon arriving at Delhi airport, I was informed that a group of fraudsters, posing as doctors, had approached the victim’s father. They forged my signature to file a petition with the Supreme Court.”

The senior advocate labelled them as “bhakts” (blind followers) and added, “I firmly believe that they were supporters of Mamata Banerjee. The individuals who attempted to misuse my name must be located and interrogated. They could potentially reveal a significant amount of confidential information.”

Bikashranjan Bhattacharya previously criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister for offering financial compensation to the victim’s family, stating, “The Chief Minister’s approach in West Bengal is highly reprehensible. Whenever a rape occurs, she quickly contacts the victim’s family, offers them money, and then claims the matter is resolved. It seems she has set up ‘rate cards’ for rape victims. While the law does provide for compensation, it should be addressed only after the investigation is complete. Her attempts to influence witnesses, as seen in this case, were rejected by the victim’s parents, who did not wish to be part of her tactics.”

During a hearing at the Calcutta High Court, Bikashranjan Bhattacharya revealed that the mob which attacked the hospital intended to vandalise the seminar room where the horrific crime occurred. However, due to confusion over floor numbers, they targeted the wrong level. The seminar room is on the third floor, referred to in Bengali as the “4th Story” (4th Tala). Consequently, the mob mistakenly entered the building’s second floor, which they thought was the third, and destroyed rooms there. Bhattacharya argued that this misdirection indicates the attack was premeditated, aimed at sabotaging the crime scene and erasing evidence.

Subsequently, a video emerged from the assault on the institution, capturing an individual instructing, “Let’s go to the seminar room,” as the chaotic mob vandalized the premises. The attack caused extensive damage, affecting at least eighteen departments, including the emergency room, intensive care unit, high-dependency unit, storage room, male wards, washrooms, and even CCTV cameras. The police were significantly outnumbered, with approximately 7,000 people in the violent crowd. They were forced to seek refuge in bathrooms and request assistance from nurses to protect themselves.