RG Kar Rape-Murder: Calcutta HC says trial court to take call on victim's parents' plea to visit crime scene

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday left it to the trial court to decide on a plea by the parents of the murdered RG Kar Hospital doctor seeking permission to visit the crime scene. The parents, through their counsel Phiroze Edulji, requested permission to inspect the site of the occurrence of the crime, except the seminar room, where their daughter’s body was found on August 9, 2024.

Following nationwide outrage and protests in the wake of the on-duty doctor's rape and murder within the premises of the institute, the HC had transferred the case investigation from Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, before whom the plea was moved, said since further investigation is being carried out by the CBI and the ACJM, Sealdah, is in seisin of the issues, no order can be passed without keeping the magistrate informed. Observing that the petitioner can approach the ACJM court with the prayer, Justice Ghosh directed that the ACJM will dispose of such application within 48 hours of being made before it.

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Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar, appearing for the CBI, submitted that since the CRPF is in charge of security at the hospital, such permission is warranted from a court of law.

Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing the West Bengal government, objected to the prayer, submitting that if the petitioner intends to seek reinvestigation into the rape-murder of the doctor, the same should be followed with a prayer for setting aside the whole investigation and the consequences thereof from inception.

He stated that the petitioner should make it clear whether they seek further investigation or a fresh probe into the crime. Former civic volunteer Sanjay Roy has been sentenced to imprisonment till the end of his natural life by the Sealdah sessions court here after finding him guilty of the crime.