RG Kar victim was under acute mental stress, sought help month before death, says Psychiatrist

NEW DELHI: A consultant psychiatrist revealed that the RG Kar hospital rape and murder victim, a 30-year-old medical trainee who died on August 9 last year, had sought his help for mental stress about a month before her death due to long duty hours, discriminatory shift allocations, and her knowledge of hospital irregularities. The psychiatrist, Mohit Ranadip, expressed willingness to testify before the CBI, which is investigating the case.
Ranadip detailed his interaction with the victim during an interview with a leading Bengali TV channel.
"She had told me about 36 hours of continuous duty, discrimination in allotment of shifts in the roster, and the acute mental pressure she was in as she had seen many irregularities in the purchase of medicines and medical equipment. I asked her if everyone was given similar shifts, she replied in the negative," Ranadip said.
The victim's parents and colleagues had previously alleged she was being targeted for exposing improprieties in the hospital's medicine and equipment purchases.
The hospital's former principal, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, was arrested in connection with these financial irregularities.
The Trinamool Congress supported a comprehensive CBI probe while claiming that opposition groups were making false allegations to discredit the government and health service doctors.
The Calcutta High Court has requested the CBI to produce the case diary at the next hearing, questioning whether the investigation considered gang rape possibilities or evidence destruction.
The victim's body was found in the hospital's seminar room in north Kolkata on August 9, 2024.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer, was arrested by Kolkata Police for the rape and murder. The CBI later took over the investigation following a high court order and maintained Roy as the sole accused.
The psychiatrist said he had advised the post-graduate trainee and scheduled a follow-up counseling session, which never took place.
The trial court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until natural death in January.
The case has drawn attention to alleged irregularities in the state-run hospital's operations and the working conditions of medical staff.