KOLKATA: The “missing document” in the RG Kar rape-murder case about which the Supreme Court asked probing questions on Monday has been traced to a one-page application written by a Tala police station sub-inspector on Aug 9 to the forensics HoD at RG Kar hospital for a “magisterial postmortem and inquest examination” under videography in the presence of a “board of doctors”.
The “missing document” was part of the Kolkata Police case diary that was handed over to CBI on Aug 13 this year.
This requisition was made standard operating procedure for medico-legal examinations in Bengal in 2020. It says, “Requisition for medico-legal autopsy must be addressed to the head of the department of forensic medicine for medical colleges and superintendent of any hospital.” The police officer seeking the postmortem has to send the death report, injury details, and inquest report, along with a requisition letter for a postmortem.
But this does not answer the SC’s queries. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said: “This document is crucial (to investigation) and of vital importance as it would have recorded the clothes and garments worn by the victim at the time of crime with which the body was sent for post-mortem examination. It is impossible for the doctor, who conducts the post-mortem, to accept the body without this document.”
The SC was specifically seeking the challan for use when a corpse is sent for examination (PRB Form No. 54 – Vide Rule 282, WB Form No. 5371). Bengal’s govt was directed to produce this in the SC on Sept 17.
This form – used by Bengal police and not Kolkata police – is very detailed, with 10 separate vertical columns, the last three of which ask the investigating officer to detail marks of injuries, cause of death, and remarks noting which clothes and articles were being sent with the body.
The Aug 9 requisition (a copy of which is with TOI) shows that Tala police SI Subhas Kumar Jha had sent a formal one-pager endorsed by his OC, Abhijit Mondal, to the forensics HoD at RG Kar. The subject line read: “Requisition for magisterial postmortem and inquest examination over the dead body of the deceased … (word illegible) under proper videography and in the presence of a board of directors.”
The requisition refers to the FIR (Tala PS UD case No. 861/24, inquest No. 1139/24), the particulars of the victimand also says the victim’s body is to be handed over to her mother after postmortem. However, the requisition does not have any separate column mentioning what the victim wore or the injury marks on her body.
The “missing document” was part of the Kolkata Police case diary that was handed over to CBI on Aug 13 this year.
This requisition was made standard operating procedure for medico-legal examinations in Bengal in 2020. It says, “Requisition for medico-legal autopsy must be addressed to the head of the department of forensic medicine for medical colleges and superintendent of any hospital.” The police officer seeking the postmortem has to send the death report, injury details, and inquest report, along with a requisition letter for a postmortem.
But this does not answer the SC’s queries. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said: “This document is crucial (to investigation) and of vital importance as it would have recorded the clothes and garments worn by the victim at the time of crime with which the body was sent for post-mortem examination. It is impossible for the doctor, who conducts the post-mortem, to accept the body without this document.”
The SC was specifically seeking the challan for use when a corpse is sent for examination (PRB Form No. 54 – Vide Rule 282, WB Form No. 5371). Bengal’s govt was directed to produce this in the SC on Sept 17.
This form – used by Bengal police and not Kolkata police – is very detailed, with 10 separate vertical columns, the last three of which ask the investigating officer to detail marks of injuries, cause of death, and remarks noting which clothes and articles were being sent with the body.
The Aug 9 requisition (a copy of which is with TOI) shows that Tala police SI Subhas Kumar Jha had sent a formal one-pager endorsed by his OC, Abhijit Mondal, to the forensics HoD at RG Kar. The subject line read: “Requisition for magisterial postmortem and inquest examination over the dead body of the deceased … (word illegible) under proper videography and in the presence of a board of directors.”
The requisition refers to the FIR (Tala PS UD case No. 861/24, inquest No. 1139/24), the particulars of the victimand also says the victim’s body is to be handed over to her mother after postmortem. However, the requisition does not have any separate column mentioning what the victim wore or the injury marks on her body.
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