Kolkata rape accused gets bail in a day after investigating officer submits 'nil' checklist

Kolkata police on Saturday initiated an inquiry against the officer-in-charge of Lake police station in the city, two senior male officers, and three women officers after criticism from Calcutta high court on Thursday over a flawed investigation into a rape complaint by the wife of a senior government official posted outside Bengal.

The complaint was filed after the woman, a senior manager at a private company, accused a man of sexually assaulting her at her home in Kolkata on July 14 and 15. The woman alleged that the police at Lake police station threatened her to withdraw the complaint when she went to the police station on July 15, reported TOI.

The investigation also had a procedural lapse like failure to conduct a medical examination or seize CCTV footage from the crime scene. The woman sought medical examination on her own at MR Bangur Hospital.


The HC was critical of the initial investigations, which diluted the charges by registering less severe sections of BNS for the crime.

The accused was given bail on July 16 as the investigation officer submitted a “nil” checklist. The HC cancelled the bail granted by a lower court and also revoked the anticipatory bail granted by an Alipore sessions judge on September 10. The accused is to surrender by Monday or will face arrest.


Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed action against the police officers "for their failure to follow norms and for tampering with the complaint". The case has been transferred to the deputy commissioner of women’s grievance cell at the Kolkata police headquarters by the HC. It also instructed police commissioner Manoj Verma to take disciplinary action. "The probe has started," an officer told TOI.

The police said that the woman's complaint was recorded, even though she had initially communicated via WhatsApp and a video call.

Police said the FIR filed on July 15 did not name the accused, and the medical report did not confirm rape. However, after the woman gave a statement before a magistrate, police sought the cancellation of the accused's bail.