Kolkata doctor rape-murder: HC advises RG Kar victim's parents to seek clarification from appropriate forum

 The Calcutta High Court advised the parents of the victim in the RG Kar trainee doctor rape and murder case to seek clarification from an appropriate forum regarding their plea for a further probe in the case. The bench will next hear the case in January.

The victim's parents expressed dissatisfaction over the probe being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation, as per the Supreme Court's directions in the case, and sought a further probe. The parents approached the High Court last week after the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge-sheet in the case, which led to lower court granting bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the former officer-in-charge of the local Tala police station.

While Ghosh continues in custody in connection with probe into financial irregularities at RG Kar, Mondal has been released. Currently, only Sanjoy Roy, the civic volunteer arrested by Kolkata police in the case, is facing trial at the local Sealdah court in Kolkata.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the CBI informed the High Court that investigations into the RG Kar cases are being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The central investigating agency further stated that multiple progress reports on the investigation have been submitted before the top court.

Senior advocate Sudipto Maitra, appearing on behalf of the victim’s parents, requested the single bench to hear their plea for further investigation, arguing that the Supreme Court has not barred lower courts from hearing the matter. The CBI also submitted to the court their investigations are still ongoing and will continue, as demanded by the victim’s parents. 

Hearing the plea, Justice Trithankar Ghosh advised the victim’s parents to get clarification from an appropriate forum on whether the single bench could hear the plea since higher legal forums are involved. The bench will hear the matter next on January 15.

The victim’s parents' dissatisfaction with the CBI investigation contrasts with their earlier request for a probe by the central agency. Initially, the Kolkata police led the investigation into the RG Kar rape and murder case and arrested Sanjay Roy, who remains the sole accused in the matter.

Although the family had initially expressed confidence in the Kolkata police's efforts, the parents, along with opposition parties and protesting junior doctors, later alleged a larger conspiracy being concealed by the state government. They also claimed Roy was not solely responsible for their daughter’s death.

To make their claims heard, the parents changed counsel, replacing senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya with another renowned senior advocate, Vrinda Grover. However, she withdrew from the case earlier this month, citing intervening factors and circumstances that prevented her from continuing to represent them.