CBI Assigns Senior Officer Seema Pahuja To Probe Kolkata Junior Doctor’s Rape & Murder

Seema Pahuja, a senior CBI officer known for her role in the 2020 Hathras gang rape and murder investigation, joins the team investigating the recent rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

This development comes as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensifies its efforts to solve the high-profile case that has shocked the nation.

Pahuja, an Additional Superintendent with the CBI and a recipient of the Police Medal, has been a key figure in the agency’s special crime unit.

Her experience in handling complex investigations is likely to bring valuable insights to the ongoing case in Kolkata, which involves the brutal assault and death of a junior doctor earlier this month.

The 19-year-old Dalit girl gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district in September 2020 became a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in India.

Her death, following her transfer to a Delhi hospital, sparked widespread protests and demands for justice.

Earlier this year, the court acquitted three of the four accused in the case, while it convicted the fourth, Sandeep Sisodia, of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

CBI Seeks NARCO Test Permission Amid Investigation

In the latest development, the CBI is seeking a lower court’s permission to conduct a NARCO test on Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer arrested in connection with the rape and murder at the Kolkata hospital.

The CBI has cited significant discrepancies in Roy’s statements during interrogation as the basis for this request.

Roy, who was captured on CCTV footage, is currently the only suspect in custody, though there is skepticism about whether one individual could have acted alone.

Following directives from the Calcutta High Court, the CBI has taken over the investigation from the Kolkata Police.

On Monday, CBI officers collected CCTV footage from locations associated with Roy and visited the victim’s family to gather more information.

The case has drawn parallels to the Hathras incident, highlighting ongoing concerns about sexual violence and the efficacy of the legal system in addressing such crimes.

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