Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder: PIL in High Court Seeking CBI Investigation

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Local reports indicate that the trainee doctor had completed her night shift and had gone to rest in the college’s seminar hall, where she was discovered in a horrific condition in the early hours of August 9.

A preliminary autopsy report has indicated that she was sexually abused before being killed.

The petition, along with other similar petitions, will be heard on Tuesday (August 12) by a division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya. The petitioner’s counsel has requested the transfer of the investigation into the murder and alleged rape of the postgraduate trainee from the city police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Counsel Phiroze Edulji alleged that the police investigation is flawed and stated before the court that he would present arguments to that effect during the hearing.

A man has been arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case and has been booked for rape and murder. Edulji claimed that there is an attempt to cover up the incident and drew a comparison to the case of Dhananjay Chatterjee, who was hanged in 2004 for a similar crime involving a poor accused person.

Edulji also highlighted that the surathal report on the medical student’s death has been made public and requested that the court direct the removal of the victim’s name from all social media platforms, emphasizing that such information should not be disclosed.