The Calcutta High Court, following the Supreme Court's directive, began hearing the RG Kar case on Monday. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the progress of the investigation, inquiring about the current status and actions of the investigating officers.
In response, the High Court also has requested the CBI to produce the case diary along with answers to these queries. The next hearing is scheduled for March 28.
After Justice Jaimalya Bagchi's elevation to the Supreme Court, the case was heard by a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Expressing dissatisfaction with the CBI’s probe, the victim’s family demanded a re-investigation, urging the inclusion of additional suspects in the inquiry.
Also read: SC allows Calcutta HC to reopen RG Kar case hearing
On the same day, the Calcutta High Court also heard the junior doctor rape and murder case. Here, too, the CBI faced intense questioning. Justice Ghosh pressed the agency on key aspects, asking, "What is the current status of the case? Is it a gang rape or an instance of evidence destruction? Has the investigation established a gang rape? Under which sections have charges been framed? Is the convicted individual the sole accused, or are there others involved?"
The victim’s family has requested that the investigation be conducted under court supervision. They have proposed the formation of a special investigative bench comprising officers of additional superintendent of police rank. Furthermore, they pointed out that crucial witnesses, such as hospital security guards, nurses, and the additional superintendent of the hospital, are yet to be interrogated.
They urged the court to seek a status report on these aspects.
The CBI’s special court in Kolkata held lone accused Sanjay Roy, a former volunteer of Kolkata police, guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
In response, the state questioned why the victim's family approached the High Court without filing an application in the CBI’s special court. The state's counsel argued, "The charge sheet has been submitted and the trial process is complete. Why is a re-investigation still being requested? Is a re-hearing necessary? What has the CBI been doing all this time? The entire nation deserves to know. Let the CBI complete the investigation within 15 days."
After reviewing the arguments and counterarguments, the High Court has directed the CBI to submit the case diary.
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