A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, assigned the R.G. Kar rape & murder case by then Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, has decided to step down from handling the case. Justices Debangshu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, part of the bench, explained that they used to handle criminal cases but no longer do so. Consequently, they have referred the case back to the current Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, who will determine the new bench for the case.
The division bench also noted that the request for a fast-track hearing, made by the victims’ parents, cannot be accommodated by their bench. The case dates back to August 9, 2024, when the body of a junior doctor from Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital was found in a seminar hall within the hospital premises. Following a trial, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer of Kolkata Police, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, dissatisfied with the Central Bureau of Investigation’s findings, the victim’s parents contested the investigation’s outcome in the Calcutta High Court.
The parents sought a speedy resolution to the case. Meanwhile, the CBI is actively pursuing leads on a potential larger conspiracy related to the rape & murder case. Progress reports have been submitted by the CBI to the trial court overseeing the matter. As Justices Basak and Rashidi recuse themselves from the case, the reassignment of the case to a new bench within the Calcutta High Court is anticipated.
