Today, On 4th October, A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Calcutta High Court, seeking the registration of an FIR against former Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal. The petition alleges that Goyal disclosed the identity of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim, a violation of legal protections for sexual assault victims. The court is set to hear the case on Monday, with serious implications for maintaining privacy in such sensitive cases.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court announced on Friday that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the registration of an FIR against former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, for allegedly disclosing the identity of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder victim, will be heard on Monday.
At the time of the incident, which occurred on August 9, Goyal was serving as the Commissioner of Kolkata Police. He currently holds the position of Additional Director General (ADG) of the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police.
The PIL, brought before the court, claims that Goyal violated established legal guidelines by revealing the victim’s name. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the petitioner, who is a lawyer practicing at the Calcutta High Court, argued that an FIR should be filed against Goyal for this violation.
Jethmalani also informed the division bench, led by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, that while the Supreme Court is handling the R G Kar hospital case suo motu, it has clarified that this particular issue falls under the jurisdiction of the high court for consideration.
The bench, which also included Justice Bivas Pattanayak, announced that the PIL will be scheduled for hearing on Monday.
Both the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court previously issued directives prohibiting the disclosure of the identity of the post-graduate trainee from R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, whose body was discovered in the institution’s seminar hall on August 9.
Following the incident, junior doctors in West Bengal launched a ‘cease work’ protest, demanding justice for the victim, increased security at their workplaces, and the removal of Vineet Goyal from his position as Commissioner of Kolkata Police.
The High Court eventually transferred the investigation from Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after considering multiple PILs, including one filed by the victim’s parents, who sought an independent inquiry into their daughter’s death.
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