RG Kar rape-murder case: CM Suvendu Adhikari orders fresh probe after Ratna Debnath's request

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday announced that the state government would reopen the investigation into the 2024 rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a case that triggered widespread outrage across the country.

Adhikari said the decision was taken following a request from the victim’s mother Ratna Debnath, who is currently a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA.

"Ratna Debnath had written to me, requesting a fresh investigation. After extensive discussions with the chief secretary and a team of experts, I am announcing a fresh investigation under the Special Commission Act, 1952," PTI quoted him as saying.

Adhikari alleged that the police had failed to discharge their responsibilities properly in connection with the case.

He also directed that a separate inquiry be conducted into the alleged irregularities surrounding the victim’s cremation and ordered prompt action against those found responsible.

RG Kar rape-murder: 2-minute silence observed in WB hospitals in memory of victim

Government hospitals across West Bengal observed a two-minute silence on Sunday to remember the on-duty doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, marking the second anniversary of her death.

At a memorial programme held in honour of the trainee doctor, her mother, who is now a BJP MLA, planted a sapling and watered it.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which spearheaded a prolonged protest after the postgraduate trainee’s body was found on August 9, 2024, organised a medical camp for underprivileged residents in north Kolkata’s Chitpur area.

"We are holding the clinic seeking justice for the on-duty doctor who was raped and murdered," one participating doctor stated.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front later organised a memorial procession from College Street to Esplanade, seeking justice for the postgraduate trainee and calling for the arrest and trial of anyone suspected of being directly or indirectly involved in the crime.

Doctors, nurses and other staff members at government hospitals across the state also observed a two-minute silence in her memory.

At Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake, the headquarters of the state Health and Family Welfare Department, Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee joined senior officials in observing the tribute.

At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata, paramilitary personnel deployed to guard the premises also stood alongside doctors, nurses and other hospital employees during the two-minute silence.

In the aftermath of the doctor’s rape and murder, the Supreme Court directed authorities to implement several measures to strengthen the safety of medical professionals and hospital staff, including the deployment of paramilitary forces at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Sanjay Roy was the only person convicted in the case and was sentenced by a Sealdah sessions court to imprisonment for the remainder of his life. However, the victim’s parents and several of her colleagues have maintained that others may have been involved in the crime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is separately examining the alleged conspiracy aspect of the case following directions from the Calcutta High Court.

The victim doctor’s mother was elected to the West Bengal Assembly as a BJP candidate from Panihati in North 24 Parganas district in the April elections.