Social Activist Issued Notice For Questioning State Police Probe In The Kolkata Doctor Rape And Murder Case

The Kolkata Police has issued a notice to Pune-based noted social activist and cultural commentator Shefali Vaidya for questioning West Bengal Police’s conduct in the investigations pertaining to the rape and murder of a 31-year old postgraduate medical student.

“I got this threatening letter from Kolkata Police for merely asking a few questions and for exercising my right of free speech. This is a clear case of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led state administration silencing the voice of private citizens using the power of Kolkata Police.

I am just a private citizen who is so disgusted by what happened to the victim that I decided to speak up. But apparently, Kolkata Police does not like independent voices that speak up,” Vaidya said in a post on the social media site X.

The communique shared by the social media activist stated that the Cyber-wing of the city police had filed charges against her under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The notice asked the activist to delete her post from X and said that she would be liable to face ‘strict penal action’ if she chose to express herself in a similar manner again.

The activist said that she has now deleted the post in question after consultation with her lawyers.

“As a woman and as a mother, I fear for my safety. We all know what Kolkata Police can do, and we all know what happens to women who dare to speak against CM Banerjee in West Bengal. They are either subjected to violence or intimidation like the one faced by the victims in the Sandeshkhali case or are forced to leave the state like what happened in the case of journalist Nupur Sharma,” Vaidya added in her post on X.

The student is said to have been murdered by the now arrested accused after raping her on August 9, 2024.

After allegations of evidence tampering and delay in the probe, Kolkata High Court has now handed the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The West Bengal CM and All India Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee has tried to downplay the situation by claiming that those questioning her administration’s ability to ensure women's safety were trying to politicise the case.

“There is a coordinated effort between the Ram and the Baam (hinting at the BJP and the CPI-M) to exploit the situation created due to this case. Several heinous crimes took place under previous governments in this state, we also saw what happened in the Hathras rape case in the BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh. Such crimes take place in Congress ruled states as well.

“But nobody talks about them. They want to politicise this incident and create a Bangladesh – like situation here,” CM Banerjee said in a speech made at a rally in Kolkata on August 14.