RG Kar rape-murder case: Supreme Court shifts suo motu proceedings to Calcutta High Court

The Supreme Court of India on December 17 ordered the transfer of the suo motu proceedings it had initiated in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to the Calcutta High Court.

A Bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma said it would be appropriate for the High Court to monitor the investigation and related issues, including the proposed formation of a National Task Force (NTF), as it is already seized of the matter.
“It’s better for the High Court to monitor and do things,” the Bench observed.

The court also directed that a copy of the status report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be handed over to the parents of the deceased victim. The direction came after senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the victim’s family, sought access to the report.

Earlier, the victim’s father raised concerns over alleged delays and lapses in the investigation, claiming that despite repeated assurances, the probe remained incomplete. He said that while the lower court had sought details, the CBI’s status report reiterated earlier claims of a larger conspiracy, mentioning the arrest of Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal.

“It has been three months since the Director kept saying they would file the chargesheet, but they haven’t done so yet,” he alleged, adding that the family had gathered several clues.

He also accused the local police of mishandling the case in its initial stages, alleging that information about the incident had reached Tala police station earlier and that the body was moved from the crime scene to a seminar room.

The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, when a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar room on the RG Kar Medical College campus. The case triggered widespread protests and nationwide outrage, with doctors and civil society groups demanding swift justice for the victim.