In a significant development in the RG Kar case, the Supreme Court has allowed the Calcutta High Court to hear the petition filed by the victim's parents.
During the hearing on Monday, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sanjay Khanna ruled that a single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh in the Calcutta High Court could proceed with the case.
The victim's family had earlier raised concerns regarding the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) handling of the case, alleging that the probe was not being conducted properly. Dissatisfied with the investigation, they approached the Calcutta High Court seeking further inquiry.
However, the High Court had initially refrained from hearing the case as the matter was also pending before the Supreme Court.
Previously, the Supreme Court had termed the petition filed by the victim’s parents as controversial and instructed them to submit a fresh plea.
Additionally, the apex court questioned whether the High Court should halt its proceedings due to the pending case. In response, the victim’s family expressed their desire to have the case transferred back to the Calcutta High Court, citing difficulties in travelling to Delhi for each hearing.
On Monday, the Supreme Court clarified that there was no legal impediment preventing the Calcutta High Court from hearing the petition. This decision allows the single bench of Justice Ghosh to proceed with the matter, offering the victim’s family a chance to present their concerns before the state judiciary.
The case had sparked national outrage following the rape and murder of a junior doctor on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August last year. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, while the trial of the main case was conducted in the Sealdah court.
The court ultimately sentenced the accused, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer of Kolkata police, to life imprisonment. However, the verdict has been met with skepticism, with many questioning why the crime was not classified as a ‘rarest of rare’ case deserving of the death penalty.
Following the lower court's verdict, the victim’s parents sought a fresh investigation by filing a petition in the Calcutta High Court. Initially, the High Court was hesitant to proceed due to the pending case in the Supreme Court. However, with the apex court’s latest directive, there are now no obstacles to the High Court’s hearing of the matter.
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