RG Kar rape-murder: Calcutta HC asks for case diary, poses questions to CBI

PTI, Kolkata, March 24, 2025 : The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to produce the case diary related to its investigation into the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Hospital. The court also asked the agency whether it was considering the possibility of gang rape or the destruction of evidence during its probe.

The petitioners, the parents of the postgraduate trainee doctor, have requested a court-monitored investigation, claiming that the CBI's charge-sheet, which was submitted to the trial court, indicated the involvement of a larger conspiracy in the crime. The petitioners sought further investigation based on this claim.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, presiding over the case, said that the petitioners' requests would be considered in light of the current stage of the investigation and the status report to be submitted by the CBI. He further directed that the CBI present the case diary at the next hearing, scheduled for March 28.

In addition, Justice Ghosh asked the CBI counsel to clarify whether the agency was examining the possibility of gang rape or the destruction of evidence in its ongoing investigation. He also instructed the Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) to confirm whether the CBI had considered investigating the crime under Section 70 (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Given that one person has already been convicted in the case, Justice Ghosh inquired whether the CBI's charge-sheet considered the crime to be committed by a single perpetrator or if it involved multiple individuals. If the latter, he asked, who were the potential suspects.

The petitioners' lawyer criticized the CBI's handling of the investigation, describing it as lackadaisical, and urged the court to request a progress report from the agency on its further investigation. Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing the West Bengal government, stated that the state had no objection to a further investigation but sought clarification on whether the law allowed such a probe after an accused had already been convicted and sentenced.