The CBI, which is probing the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital here last month, is now trying to zero in on the people who influenced the initial investigation carried out by Kolkata Police that resulted into some severe lapses.

Abhijit Mondal, the former SHO of Tala Police Station, is in CBI custody and is being probed on charges of giving misleading information and tampering with evidence. The investigating officials, however, doubt that he is just a cog in the wheel and his actions were steered by instructions from some influential brains.

Sources said while the investigation officials have been able to secure some incriminating evidence on how the former and controversial R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh tried to influence the initial investigation process, the CBI sleuths doubt that there are more within the administration who were involved in the bigger plot.

The first thing, sources added, which is under the focus of investigation, is under what or whose influence the post-mortem of the body was conducted after sunset. The general practice is that the autopsy is conducted before sunset.

The second question that is haunting the investigation team is whether the haste in conducting the post-mortem after sunset was done to ensure a similarly hurried cremation of the body on the same night.

The third point where the investigating officials are trying to join the dots is the source of influence that prompted the authorities to ignore the demand of the victim’s parents to preserve the body of their daughter at least for a day.

Sources added that from the orchestrated manner in which the entire process -- starting from post-sunset autopsy to hurried cremation -- was done, it is clear that not just one but multiple influencers could be behind the orchestration.

The sources also said that the investigation officials now firmly believe that some more influential brains had operated from behind the scenes with some pawns being in the forefront.

The body of a woman doctor was found in mysterious circumstances in the R.G.Kar premises on August 9 morning. Initially, one person was arrested in the case and later two more -- ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and suspended SHO Abhijit Mondal -- were also held.