More arrests will follow: RG Kar victim's parents hail West Bengal govt move, see fresh hope for justice

Kolkata: Hailing the West Bengal government's decision to widen the investigation into the RG Kar rape-and-murder case and suspend three senior IPS officers, the victim's parents on Friday said the move revived their hopes for justice and could lead to more arrests in the case that shook the nation.

The victim's mother, Ratna Debnath, now the BJP MLA from Panihati, said the latest developments marked the beginning of a renewed judicial process.

"I believe this is the beginning of a fresh phase in the pursuit of justice. More people will now be arrested," Debnath said, thanking Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for ordering action.

Earlier in the day, Adhikari announced the suspension of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, ex-Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Indira Mukherjee and former DC North Abhishek Gupta, while asserting that the investigation would also determine under whose directions officials had acted.

The chief minister said allegations made by the victim's family that police officers had allegedly attempted to offer them money in the name of the state government needed to be investigated.

Responding to the move, Debnath drew a contrast with the previous dispensation.

"The previous government could have issued such directions too, but did not. That is the difference between the two chief ministers," she said.

The victim's mother said the family had repeatedly alleged discrepancies in the investigation.

"Earlier, no action was taken. Wrong information had been given in my daughter's case. We are happy with the chief minister's decision," she said.

Debnath had campaigned extensively on securing justice for her daughter. Ensuring justice in the RG Kar case was among the BJP's key poll promises.

On Wednesday, she moved court demanding the arrest of former Panihati MLA Nirmal Ghosh, and two other local TMC leaders -- Somnath Das and Sanjib Mukhopadhyay.

The current Panihati MLA alleged that efforts had been made to prevent a second post-mortem examination of her daughter and claimed the body was cremated hastily without complete documentation being handed over.

The victim's father alleged that there had been sustained attempts to shield those responsible.

"We repeatedly said there were attempts to protect the guilty. The chief minister has set an example so that those entrusted with protecting the law do not dare misuse their powers," he said.

The RG Kar incident took place on August 9, 2024, when an on-duty junior doctor was found dead inside a seminar hall of the state-run hospital, sparking nationwide protests and demands for justice.

A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day by Kolkata Police in connection with the alleged rape and murder, before the probe was transferred to the CBI amid mounting public pressure.

Reacting to Friday's developments, Dr Aniket Mahato, one of the prominent faces of the RG Kar movement, said the decision removed obstacles from bringing out the truth.

For the victim's family, however, Friday's developments appeared less about politics and more about reviving hope in a case that had become one of Bengal's biggest symbols of a fight for justice.