A fresh audio clip, purportedly capturing a conversation between two junior doctors of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has surfaced amid the ongoing investigation into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor there. This purported chat touches upon what it describes as the “influence” wielded by former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh at the premier medical institution and his alleged links with West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). News18 could not independently verify the veracity of the clip.
Sources told CNN-News18 that one voice belongs to Dr Sarif Hassan, an alleged aide of Ghosh, the controversial ex-principal who is being investigated in the rape-murder case and for alleged corruption. Hassan has already been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at least thrice in connection with the woman doctor’s death. The other voice belongs to Dr Anubhav Saha, who is allegedly against Ghosh’s “coterie”, the sources said.
Saha has alleged that this is a call recording of his conversation with Hassan, months before the incident at RG Kar Hospital. He claimed that the conversation took place after Hassan lodged a false complaint against him before the anti-ragging committee of the state-run hospital and the national minorities commission.
“He was threatening me by taking the names of extremely powerful people and was trying to persuade me to join his lobby or face the consequences like suspension,” Saha told CNN-News18. He alleged that the “Ghosh coterie” threatened him as he was in support of a new principal taking charge. “I come from a socially backward class, so I was harassed and threatened even more.”
Hassan, meanwhile, denied the allegations and said: “This entire audio is AI generated. I have given a complaint regarding this. The CBI is probing this case. I was called in for questioning. I have told the CBI whatever I had to.”
In the viral clip, two voices are purportedly discussing how Ghosh enjoys the patronage of “Didi”, who does not let him resign. The word “Didi” in Bengali means elder sister and is a common address for a senior woman figure. Even West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is referred to as “Didi” in political circles and by her admirers.
“I have seen the vigilance report against him (the principal) with my own eyes,” the purported voice of Saha is heard saying. To this, the other voice says: “That report does not exist anymore; it has been removed, go and check the website.” The second voice then adds: “…Principal sir wants to resign, but Didi doesn’t let him. Do you know this? The CM doesn’t let him resign. He would have resigned long ago… Didi has asked him to stay on till Lok Sabha elections…”
The purported voice of Hassan also refers to a person called “SPD”, who is allegedly “running the health department as instructed by Didi”. However, it was not immediately clear who this person was.
The development comes days after two audio clips, purportedly capturing conversations between parents of the RG Kar victim and at least two officials at the hospital went viral, reinvigorating a debate in the backdrop of claims that her family was not given correct information during the first calls.
In the clips, purported officials — one male and one female — at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital could be heard telling the parents that they must rush to the facility. The female voice in one of the conversations identified herself as the assistant superintendent of the hospital and told the parents first that their 31-year-old daughter was unwell, before saying in what is thought to be another call that she might have died by suicide.
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