RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Supreme Court disposes of parents’ plea for fresh CBI probe – ‘free to approach Calcutta HC’

RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: The Supreme Court on Monday, March 17, dismissed a plea from the parents of a victim in the RG Kar rape-murder case seeking a fresh probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, the court allowed them to pursue their case in the Calcutta High Court. 

“Without making comments, we dispose of the application observing that the applicant is at liberty to pursue the proceedings before the HC,” Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said, as per a report by legal news agency LiveLaw.

In the previous hearing, the CJI Khanna-led Bench directed hospitals and medical colleges across the country not to penalise doctors and medical professionals who participated in protests against the ghastly rape and murder case but had returned to their duty after the top court’s appeal.

Senior Advocate Karuna Nundi represented the victim's parents in the case, while Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the CBI.

The case pertains to the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last August. Her body was found on August 9 on the hospital premises. Police investigation revealed that the woman was raped and murdered. The incident triggered nationwide protests.

In February, a special court in Kolkata directed the CBI to submit a fresh progress report by February 24 regarding its investigation into the case. The central agency took over the investigation after receiving a directive from the Calcutta High Court.

In January, Sanjay Roy, the lone convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case, who was a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Sealdah, Kolkata. The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000.