Kolkata’s Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal is facing mounting criticism over the police’s probe into the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Even as the police claimed they did everything that was expected of them, the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing no significant progress in the police investigation.
Now, the opposition BJP has accused the Commissioner of deliberately botching up the investigation. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted, “It is quite likely that the Kolkata Police, on instructions of Mamata Banerjee, has already wiped out evidence in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. The initial handling by the Kolkata Police doesn’t inspire much confidence either.”
Malviya shared a video from a hearing at Calcutta High Court over the petitions filed in the trainee doctor’s rape and murder case. In the video, one of the counsels of the petitioners, who were demanding a CBI probe into the case, questions Vineet Goyal’s role into the case, giving reference of his involvement in a similar case in the past.
“Meet Vineet Kumar Goyal, Commissioner of Kolkata Police. He, as Inspector General of CID, was the investigating officer in the much publicised Kamduni rape and murder case, which he botched up completely. Similar modus-operandi, of inflicting scratch marks on the victim’s body, as seen in the Kamduni case, were followed in RG Kar case too,” Malviya further said in the tweet.
“It is likely that Vineet Goyal has already done the job for Mamata Bannerjee and CBI may not be able to find much. Whatever little evidence was left, the mob destroyed it last night,” he added.
Malviya was referring to the gangrape and murder of a 20-year-old woman in Barasat’s Kamduni village in 2013. Vineet Goyal was the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the state CID during the Kamduni gangrape case.
TOP COP DEFENDS POLICE PROBE
On Thursday, Vineet Goyal blamed a “malicious campaign” on social media against the police.
“What has happened here is because of the wrong media campaign, which has been malicious… What has the Kolkata Police not done? It has done everything in this case… We have tried to satisfy the family but the rumours are being floated… I am extremely angry. We have not done anything wrong,” the Commissioner said.
“Because of a malicious media campaign, Kolkata police have lost the trust of the people. We have never said that there is only one person (accused), we have said that we are waiting for scientific evidence and it takes time… Just based on rumours, I can’t arrest a young PG student, it’s against my conscience. There is so much pressure from the media, I have been very clear that we have done what is right. Now, the CBI is investigating it. They’ll do a fair deal. We will give all support to the CBI,” he added.
On August 12, Mamata Banerjee gave a stern warning to the Kolkata Police that the CBI would be handed the case if the cops are unable to crack the matter by Sunday, August 18.
However, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday transferred the probe to the CBI after the victim’s parents pleaded for an independent probe. In its order, the court criticised the police’s investigation and the way the case was handled from the very beginning.
“One more aspect, which is also quite disturbing, is that a case of unnatural death has been registered with the Tala Police Stationâæ It is submitted that under normal circumstances, a case of unnatural death is registered when there is no complaint,” the court noted.
WHO IS IPS VINEET GOYAL?
Vineet Goyal, a 1994-batch IPS officer, is the current Commissioner of the Kolkata Police. He was appointed as the Commissioner of Kolkata Police on January 1, 2022, replacing Soumen Mitra who retired on December 31, 2021.
He is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and has served in various key positions in both Kolkata Police and the state police.
Before becoming the Commissioner, Goyal was the Additional Director-General (ADG) of the state police’s Special Task Force (STF). He has also worked as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), including DCP (Traffic), and rose to the post of Additional Commissioner of Police.
Last month, the Union Home Ministry initiated disciplinary action against Goyal and Deputy Commissioner (DCP) Central Indira Mukherjee for allegedly maligning the office of the West Bengal Governor and violating protocol.