Kolkata rape-murder: Supreme Court asks R G Kar victim's parents to pursue plea in Calcutta HC for further probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the parents of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim to pursue before the Calcutta High Court their plea for a further court-monitored CBI probe into the gruesome incident.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna took note of the submissions of senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the parents, that a further probe was needed to ascertain the alleged role of some other persons.

"Without making comments, we dispose of the application (of the parents) observing that the applicants have the liberty to pursue the proceedings before the high court," the bench said. The victim's parents were present in the courtroom.

A separate plea of the parents seeking further court-monitored CBI probe into the incident is already pending in the Calcutta High Court which recently asked them to seek clarification from the top court on the issue.

The victim's parents were unhappy with the CBI probe and had moved the top court for a further probe into the case.

The bench said it will consider in the week commencing May 13 the aspect related to recommendations and suggestions on preventing gender-based violence and developing safety protocols for doctors and medical staff at hospitals across the nation with the court-appointed national task force (NTF).

The hospital staff and doctors took part in nationwide protests after the body of the post-graduate trainee doctor was found in the RG Kar hospital's seminar room on August 9 last year.

During its probe, Kolkata police arrested civic volunteer Sanjay Roy the next day in the case.

The heinous crime at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year triggered prolonged protests in West Bengal and a nationwide outrage.

On August 22, last year, the bench made an impassioned appeal to the protesting doctors across the country, asking them to resume work.

The bench was hearing the suo-motu case over the rape and murder of the trainee. On January 20, Roy was sentenced to "life term imprisonment till death" in the case.

On December 10 last year, the top court took note of the CBI's latest status report and expressed confidence that the trial would conclude within a month.

The bench had directed the parties to share their recommendations and suggestions on preventing gender-based violence and developing safety protocols for doctors and medical staff at hospitals across the nation with the court-appointed national task force (NTF).

The bench directed the NTF to file a report and said, "All recommendations and suggestions be sent to the National Task force and a reply be filed by the states and UTs (union territories) to the last report of the NTF." While taking a suo motu notice of the case, the bench constituted the NTF on August 20 to formulate a protocol to ensure safety and security of medical professionals in the wake of the crime.

In November last year, the NTF in its report -- part of the Central government's affidavit -- said a separate central law to deal with offences against healthcare professionals was not required.

The panel said the state laws had adequate provisions to address minor offences besides serious ones under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

In a slew of recommendations, the NTF said 24 states had enacted laws to address violence against healthcare professionals while defining the terms "healthcare institutions" and "medical professionals".

The bench then said the case would be next heard in the week commencing March 17, 2025, but said the parties could seek an early hearing if the rape and murder case trial was delayed or an urgency.

Initially investigated by the Kolkata police, the case was transferred to the CBI on August 13 after the Calcutta High Court expressed dissatisfaction over the former's investigation.

The top court subsequently assumed oversight of the matter on August 19, 2024.

Roy was chargesheeted by CBI in October last year.