The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed that the trial court will decide on the plea of the parents of the RG Kar Medical College doctor, who was raped and murdered in August 2024, seeking permission to visit the crime scene.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, hearing the matter, held that the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Sealdah — who is currently overseeing the proceedings — is best positioned to take a call on the request. The judge clarified that no order could be passed by the High Court without informing the magistrate and granted liberty to the petitioners to move the ACJM court directly.
The victim’s parents, represented by advocate Phiroze Edulji, submitted that they wished to visit the location of the crime within the hospital premises, excluding the seminar room where their daughter’s body was found on August 9, 2024. They emphasized the need to inspect the broader site of occurrence for clarity and closure.
Following massive protests and public outrage over the rape and murder of the young doctor while she was on duty, the High Court had earlier transferred the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar, appearing for the CBI, submitted that since the hospital is now under the security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), any such visit requires judicial authorization.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing the West Bengal government, opposed the plea. He contended that if the petitioners were indirectly seeking a reinvestigation or a fresh probe, they should make a formal prayer seeking to set aside the previous investigation and its outcomes.
The court clarified that if an application is made to the ACJM, it must be decided within 48 hours.
Notably, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer, has already been convicted and sentenced by the Sealdah Sessions Court to imprisonment until the end of his natural life for the brutal crime.
