The Supreme Court on Monday directed the parents of the victim in the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case to approach the Calcutta High Court for a further court-monitored CBI investigation into the incident. The directive was issued by a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, acknowledging the need for a deeper inquiry as advocated by senior advocate Karuna Nundy, representing the victim’s parents.
The parents, dissatisfied with the initial CBI probe, sought to ascertain the involvement of additional suspects in the tragic event, prompting this legal move. “Without making comments, we dispose of the application (of the parents) observing that the applicants have the liberty to pursue the proceedings before the high court,” stated the bench during the hearing.
The victim, a post-graduate trainee doctor, was found deceased in the seminar room of RG Kar hospital on August 9 last year, an event that led to nationwide protests and outcry among the medical community and the public. The case, initially handled by the Kolkata police, saw the arrest of civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment till death on January 20 this year.
In response to the protests and the gravity of the crime, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter and established a national task force (NTF) on August 20, tasked with developing safety protocols to prevent gender-based violence and enhance security for doctors and medical staff nationwide. The NTF’s recommendations, as stated in a report last November, concluded that existing state laws were sufficient to handle offences against healthcare professionals, negating the need for a separate central law.
The Calcutta High Court, which has a pending plea from the victim’s parents for further investigation, recently prompted them to seek clarification from the Supreme Court regarding the scope of their plea. This development comes as the High Court continues to address the complexities of this high-profile case, with the Supreme Court’s latest intervention ensuring a focused pursuit of justice.
