New revelations in Abhaya case: Eyewitness statements clash, Seminar room mystery deepens

New revelations in the Abhaya case have intensified the investigation, as conflicting witness statements and fresh evidence raise significant questions regarding the timeline of events and the conditions surrounding her death. The CFSL report and data gathered by the CBI have prompted investigators to closely examine the seminar room, suspected to be the scene of the incident, and clarify discrepancies in witness accounts and physical evidence.

On the night of August 9, Abhaya, PGT Soumitra Ray, PGT Ark Sen, house staff member Golam Azam, and intern Shubdeep Singh Mahapatra had dinner together. At around 2:00 AM, Soumitra Ray reported that Abhaya was woken up by a message regarding a patient’s illness and instructed him to contact another doctor. At 2:19 AM, PGT Ark entered the seminar room and saw Abhaya asleep under a red blanket. At 2:50 AM, Golam Azam, entering the seminar room, found no response from Abhaya and subsequently left, claiming to have closed the door. However, a civic volunteer, involved in the investigation, contradicted this, stating that the door was found open at a later point.

The following morning, at 9:35 AM, PGT Soumitra Ray went to the seminar room after not finding Abhaya and discovered her body in an unusual position, with her naked legs visible behind the table. Soumitra stepped out and attempted to contact Abhaya, but upon receiving no response, he called PGT Ark. According to Soumitra's statement, the call was made at 9:37 AM, just a minute after he discovered the body. However, Ark’s statement indicated that he received the call around 9:30 AM, leading to discrepancies in the reported timeline.

Between 3:30 AM and 4:30 AM, the critical period during which the incident likely occurred, no further details have been provided by the witnesses present. Despite being awake during this time, Soumitra, Ark, Golam Azam, and Shubdeep Mahapatra have not offered additional information about the situation. Investigators are now working to reconcile the conflicting statements and clarify the state of the seminar room, including the color of the blanket and the condition of the door. They are also focusing on understanding the exact sequence of events that led to Abhaya's death, as the investigation progresses.