RG Kar Rape-Murder Case | Calcutta High Court Constitutes Three-Member SIT To Probe Cover-Up Allegations

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Joint Director, Eastern Zone, to probe allegations of a larger conspiracy and attempts to “hush up” the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case.

A division bench comprising Justices Shampa Sarkar and Tirthankar Ghosh directed the SIT to submit a report before the Court on June 25.

The Court directed the CBI to specifically examine the sequence of events beginning from the victim's dinner on the night of August 9, 2024 till the cremation, while granting the agency liberty to investigate all necessary aspects connected with the matter.

During the hearing, the bench also questioned the progress of the probe, asking what investigation had been carried out by the CBI in the one year and seven months following the filing of the chargesheet on October 7, 2024.

In response, the CBI informed the Court that statements of around 70 to 80 individuals had been recorded in the course of the investigation.

The High Court has been hearing pleas seeking a deeper probe into allegations that material facts surrounding the crime were deliberately suppressed and that there existed a larger conspiracy behind the handling of the investigation in its initial stages.

While directing the constitution of the SIT, the bench observed that the agency may examine every aspect necessary for an effective and comprehensive investigation.

The Court's directions come amid continuing concerns raised by the victim's family and intervenors regarding alleged destruction of evidence, procedural lapses and institutional complicity.

Background

The case pertains to the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor whose body was discovered inside a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier transferred the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, observing that the state investigation did not inspire confidence.

Subsequently, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was convicted in the rape and murder case. However, demands for a wider investigation into the alleged cover-up and destruction of evidence have continued.

The alleged lapses in the handling of the case had also brought former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and certain police officials under scrutiny.