Kolkata, Oct 1 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered transfer of a case being investigated by the state police concerning the alleged hurried cremation of the R G Kar hospital’s rape and murder victim and destruction of evidence.
A special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI is probing, on an order of this court, into allegations of a larger conspiracy into the rape-murder of the on-duty doctor at the state-run hospital in north Kolkata in August 2024.
A separate FIR was registered at the Khardah police station in North 24 Parganas district on August 8 over allegations of a hurried cremation, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence on a complaint by the father of the victim doctor.
“We are of the opinion that, on the selfsame issue, both the CBI and the state agency cannot carry forward the investigation,” a division bench comprising Justices Shampa Sarkar and Tirthankar Ghosh observed.
Ordering transfer of the case to the SIT of CBI, the court directed that in case any accused is in custody in connection with the Khardah police station case, the SIT will take into account whether further custody is required or not and, accordingly, present prayers before the jurisdictional court.
The bench directed that the investigating officer of Khardah police station will not take any further steps in this case and immediately hand over all records to the SIT.
Ordering the personal appearances of the police officers, the court had on September 24 said it wanted clarifications on how the investigation had commenced when this bench is already monitoring the investigation by the CBI, and reports were being filed by the central agency.
Noting the presence of the inspector-in-charge of Khardah police station and the investigating officer in accordance with its earlier order, the court said, “We are not satisfied with the explanation offered, and we caution them to be more careful in future.”
The court had on May 21 ordered setting up a three-member special investigation team of the CBI, headed by its joint director, east, to probe the developments from the time the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital’s trainee doctor had dinner on the ill-fated night of August 2024 to her cremation.
The victim doctor’s parents had moved the court, alleging that evidence was destroyed and attempts were made to downplay the incident in its immediate aftermath.
The young medic was raped and murdered in the hospital on the night of August 9, 2024, which led to massive protests and night vigils in West Bengal and created a furore across the country.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer, was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life by the Sealdah Sessions Court here for the rape and murder of the doctor. PTI AMR NN
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