150 gm sperm, fractures, bigwigs involved: What police said on claims in Kolkata doctor's rape and murder

The rape and murder of a young doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata have sparked nationwide outrage, leading to protests and strikes by women and medical professionals. As the case gained attention, several claims about the crime began circulating, many of which have been dismissed by the police.

One of the key pieces of misinformation involved claims of severe injuries, such as a pelvic girdle fracture. However, the autopsy, which was conducted in the presence of a magistrate and videographed, did not report any fractures.

Despite social media posts suggesting otherwise, the police have denied the existence of such injuries.

The filing of an "unnatural death" case has also been a point of contention. The Calcutta High Court criticized the hospital administration for not filing a complaint and raised suspicions about the case.

Kolkata Police Chief Vineet Goyal clarified that registering an unnatural death case is a routine legal procedure when there is no immediate complaint. "Murder is an unnatural death. When there is no immediate complaint, you have to do an inquest. An inquest is preceded by an unnatural death case. So, I don't see why it is being said that by registering an unnatural death case, we wanted to hush up the matter and make it look like a suicide case," Goyal explained.

Another alarming claim involved reports that 150 mg of semen was found in the victim's body, suggesting gang rape. This information reportedly came from a petition filed by the victim’s family in the Calcutta High Court. However, Police Chief Goyal refuted this claim during a press conference, stating, "Someone said 150 gm semen is found. I don't know from where they have found this kind of information. And it is circulating in media in all kinds of forms. People are tempted to believe it and they are trying to create confusion among the people."

Social media has also named some of the doctor’s colleagues as suspects. While the victim's parents have reportedly provided a list of names to the CBI, no official agency has confirmed any names apart from the arrest of a civic volunteer.

Another narrative suggested that one of the doctor’s junior colleagues, implicated in the crime, is the son of a powerful politician. The police have debunked this, clarifying that he is the son of a teacher from Bankura. They emphasized that such fake stories were spread to imply that influential figures were being shielded.

The case has also raised concerns about privacy violations, as the doctor’s name and an unverified copy of a prescription she wrote were leaked on social media, violating Supreme Court guidelines on the reportage of sexual assault cases. The circulation of such information has only added to the confusion and misinformation surrounding the case.