In a significant ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged rape and murder of a doctor on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last August. The victim’s parents had sought to challenge the earlier court verdict that sentenced the accused, Sanjay Roy, to life imprisonment.
The plea was reviewed by a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, which directed the bereaved family to approach the Calcutta High Court for further recourse. The decision follows the conclusion of an initial investigation by the CBI and subsequent legal proceedings that culminated in a Sealdah court’s January ruling. Following the verdict, the CBI appealed to the high court, pushing for a harsher penalty of the death sentence for Roy.
Senior Advocate Karuna Nundi represented the victim’s parents in the Supreme Court, while the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, argued on behalf of the CBI. The case has attracted significant public and media attention due to the gruesome nature of the crime and the subsequent legal battles.
Adding to the family’s distress, the father of the deceased, a post-graduate trainee at the hospital, revealed that they have not yet received her death certificate. Despite more than seven months since the tragic incident, bureaucratic hurdles continue to obstruct their quest for closure.
“The officials at Swasthya Bhavan, the hospital, and the responsible borough of Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been uncooperative. We are continuously harassed whenever we attempt to obtain the death certificate, being told that it is against the rules,” he expressed in a statement last week.
