The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred proceedings related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College to the Calcutta High Court, bringing the high-profile case back under the state judiciary’s supervision after months of monitoring by the apex court.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma directed that all case papers be sent to the Calcutta High Court. The court also ordered that a copy of the latest status report be provided to the victim’s parents.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case in 2024 after the body of the trainee doctor was found in the hospital’s seminar room on August 9 last year. The Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, the following day in connection with the crime.
On January 20 this year, a Kolkata trial court convicted Roy and sentenced him to “life term imprisonment till death.” The brutal crime sparked nationwide outrage and led to prolonged protests across West Bengal, particularly by medical professionals demanding safer working conditions.
Despite the conviction, the Supreme Court continued to oversee related issues arising from the case. These included concerns linked to the healthcare system, such as the unauthorised absence of doctors. While taking suo motu notice earlier, the apex court had also constituted a National Task Force on August 20 last year to frame a protocol aimed at ensuring the safety and security of medical professionals across the country.
With the transfer order, the Calcutta High Court will now take charge of further proceedings, even as the broader institutional reforms triggered by the case continue to remain under national focus.
