'Were Forced to Shoot Video': Abhaya's Family Charges Mamata Cops of Blatant Coercion

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing probe in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, the victim's parents have now levelled sensational charge by accusing the Kolkata police of coercing them into filming a video where they are seen confessing that Mamata Banerjee 's cops did not offer them any bribes. The new charge comes a day after the parents accused the Kolkata police of attempting to cover up the case through bribery and hastily carrying out their daughter’s cremation. The conflicting statement from the Kolkata doctor’s parents followed the release of a video by the ruling Trinamool Congress ( TMC ), in which the parents were allegedly heard saying that they had not been offered any money by the police. 

“We urge the department (Chest Medicine Department) to tell us if they know anything...A video has gone viral, we too have seen it. The family was forced to shoot it on the night of 11th August. The matter was with the Kolkata Police at that time. They forced us to say this...We don't know what the amount was, but it was a bundle of notes...The video was made viral at 1 am, it was done deliberately”, said Abhaya's aunt. 

‘ TMC Denies Allegations of Police Cover-Up’  

On Thursday, the TMC denied the allegations of a police cover-up made by the Abhaya's family, arguing that a recently surfaced video disproves their claims by showing the family previously expressing satisfaction with the investigation.

The video, the authenticity of which could not be verified by Republic World, was shown during a press conference at the TMC office, where the parents allegedly stated they had not been offered any money. Later, the victim's family told a news channel that the video was recorded under duress by the police days after the incident.  

‘ Mamata Banerjee ’s police threatened to derail the investigation’  

Taking to X, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also shared the video clip of the victim's parents and said,“ TMC hacks are circulating a video of the deceased RG Kar doctor’s family and claiming that WB Police didn’t offer any money to them. Now listen to the parent’s version. They claim that Mamata Banerjee ’s police threatened to derail the investigation, if they didn’t come on camera and deny the allegations of being offered money, to withdraw the case. Distraught parents complied,” Amit Malviya wrote on X.

“Later, when the parents realised that the Kolkata Police was doing everything to cover up the crime and were conducting a sham investigation, they decided to speak the truth. The parents, who had just lost a 31 year old daughter, were being hounded by Vineet Goyal and his team of officers on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee ,” he added.  

Abhaya Rape And Murder 

The rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 sparked nationwide protests. On Wednesday,  Kolkata experienced a unique and powerful display of civic solidarity when residents turned off their lights for an hour from 9 pm to 10 PM and came down to the streets with burning candles to protest the murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital and to express support for the deceased doctor's family.

Significant pockets across districts of West Bengal also witnessed spontaneous protests from citizens hitting roads late in the evening with burning torches, candles and even backlit mobile phones demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital victim.   

The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, which had called for the protest, titled the event 'Let There Be Light, Let There Be Justice' had planned it to coincide with the Supreme Court's scheduled hearing in the rape-murder case on September 5.  The protesters demanded that the case, which is currently being heard by an apex court bench, be resolved expeditiously so that justice doesn't get delayed any further.