Kolkata: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the state govt would replace the health secretary if it was established that he had ordered repairs to the washrooms adjoining the seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found raped and murdered on Aug 9, 2024.The renovation began a day after the incident, triggering allegations of possible evidence tampering. Protesters had questioned whether the washroom formed part of the crime scene.“PWD handled building maintenance and electrical work. After the victim’s mother spoke to me and the health minister, we would examine whether the current health secretary, who also held the post then, had ordered repairs and, if so, we will replace him,” Adhikari said.He was speaking at the inauguration of ABVP’s medical student cell MeDeVision’s 8th national conference at RG Kar, where Panihati MLA Ratna Debnath was present on the dais.Calling the crime painful, barbaric and shameful, Adhikari said BJP govt had suspended three IPS officers — Vineet Goyal, Indira Mukherjee and Abhishek Gupta. He also claimed that a file seeking prosecution of other officials and doctors involved in the case had remained pending with the previous CM for two-and-a-half years, but he had granted the necessary NOC within a day of taking office.Adhikari also alleged that a mob vandalised the hospital on the night of Aug 14, 2024, with the backing of the then local MLA, and accused the former CM of tacitly approving the incident.The rape-murder case and related cases are being investigated by the CBI. Adhikari said his govt would pursue justice within legal and constitutional limits. “Modiji in his 25 years of service to the nations said ‘We will do it’. And regarding this Abhaya case, I promise we will do it, we will do it,” he said.
