From pornography to mysterious deaths: Kolkata doctor murder-rape case unfolds dark history of RG Kar Medical College

The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old Post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College has triggered upropar across the country, with people descending to streets to protest against the horrific incident and demand justice for the deceased victim. 

A trainee doctor was found dead and half-naked in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. The post-mortem report has confirmed rape and suggested that there were grave injuries in her private parts with her pelvic girdle broken and legs wide open. 

An accused, identified as Sanjay Roy who worked as a civic volunteer at the hospital, has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Kolkata police and further probe is underway. 

Notably, this is not the first incident of murder reported at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The college has witnessed cases of pornography and mysterious deaths in the past 23 years. The recent rape and murder case of the junior doctor has unearthed more such incidents at the college which are still 'unsolved'. 

1. Soumitra Biswas case, 2001

The case pertains to a 25-year-old medical student, named Soumitra Biswas, at RG Kar College in Kolkata whose body was found hanging in his hostel room in 2001. However, his friends had alleged that this was not a case of suicide. As per a report by Times of India, his mother alleged that her son was killed after discovering illicit activities such as pornography ring on campus, and that he wanted to raise his voice against the same. The deceased's friends also backed the accusations and alleged that he was targeted after he exposed the 'dark dealings'. 

However, Biswas's death is still shrouded in mystery. 

2. Suicide case, 2003

In 2003, a house staff working at RG Kar Medical College died allegedly by suicide. His friends claimed that he was quite a reserved person and that he took his life by jumping off the roof, having cut his veins. He was rushed to the emergency ward where he was declared dead by the doctors. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear. 

3. Mysterious death of a professor, 2016

Another chilling incident which occured at RG Kar Medical College is that of a mysterious death of a 54-year-old Professor, named Gautam Pal, in his rented apartment in 2016. He worked as a department head at the hospital. His body was recovered from his apartment after his neighbours complained about the odour. According to the police, his body was found lying on the floor, and there were some marks on his face. However, the police did not turn down the probability of a cardiac arrest. 

4. Poulomi Saha case, 2020 

Poulomi Saha, a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College, had died allegedly by suicide by jumping off the roof of the hospital premises. She was rushed to the emergency ward, however, she could not be saved. According to the police, the deceased had been going through depression for the past few days. Like Soumitra's demise, Poulomi's death has left behind so many questions, yet unanswered. 

5. Death of an intern, 2003

Suvrojit, a medical intern at RG Kar College, was found dead at his residence. According to the police, the reason behind his death was an overdose of the anti-depressants. He had been suffering through depression for the past one and half years. 

The recent tragic events occurred at the hospital have shed the light on the instituitional negligence and called for greater accountability and transparency. The ongoing nationwide protests against the rape and murder of the junior doctor serve as a reminder that several cases pertaining to RG Kar College are still unsolved and that the truth must be uncovered in order to get justice to the victims and their families.