In a major update on the RG Kar rape and murder case, the victim’s parents Today (Jan 29) withdrawn their plea from the Supreme Court, where they had sought a fresh investigation. The SC pointed out that Sanjoy Roy had already been convicted and advised caution in reopening the case. The court has postponed the hearing to January 29, while the next major hearing is expected in March 2025, unless an urgent request is made. The case continues to spark nationwide outrage over safety concerns for medical professionals.
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NEW DELHI: The parents of the victim in the RG Kar College and Hospital rape-murder case in Kolkata have withdrawn their plea from the Supreme Court on Wednesday. They had earlier filed this plea requesting a fresh investigation into the case.
The Supreme Court took up the case for hearing on the same day. During the proceedings, the top court asked the parents’ lawyer whether they wanted the Supreme Court to move forward with the case, as a similar plea had already been filed in the Calcutta High Court.
The Supreme Court also warned the lawyer of the victim’s parents to be careful while making statements and submissions in the affidavit before the court. The reason for this warning was that a conviction order had already been issued against Sanjoy Roy in this case.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court raised some important points. The judges asked the lawyer of the victims’ family whether the court should continue hearing the petition or wait for the decision of a similar case in the Calcutta High Court.
The Supreme Court made it clear that there was already a conviction order against Sanjoy Roy.
The parents had approached the Supreme Court because they wanted the investigation to be done again with new evidence. However, the Supreme Court warned the lawyer who was representing the victims’ family to be very careful with the case. The court pointed out that since the legal process had already ended with a conviction, reopening the case would be a very delicate and sensitive matter.
The last hearing on this case was on January 22. At that time, the Supreme Court had not given a decision because of a lack of time. This case has created huge protests all over the country. The hearing on January 22 was the first time the case was taken up after the conviction of Sanjoy Roy, who was sentenced to “life imprisonment till death” by the Sealdah Sessions Court in Kolkata on January 20.
ALSO READ: R G Kar Rape-Murder || CJI Sanjiv Khanna Adjourns Hearing to January 29
Hearing Delayed
A bench of judges, including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice K V Viswanathan, decided to postpone the hearing. The reason was that there were three new applications related to this case. The Chief Justice (CJI) announced that the case would be heard again on January 29 at 2 PM.
The crime happened on August 9, 2024, and after this tragic incident, many protests took place across the country. People demanded better safety measures for doctors and medical professionals. Senior lawyer Karuna Nandy, representing the Association of Junior and Senior Doctors, asked the court for an urgent hearing.
Previous Developments
In December 2024, the Supreme Court had reviewed the CBI’s report on the rape and murder case. The court had said that it was confident that the trial would be completed within a month. The CBI also informed the court that the trial was happening daily at a special court in Sealdah.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked a National Task Force (NTF), appointed by the court, to make recommendations for improving the safety of doctors. In November 2024, the NTF submitted a report saying that existing state laws were enough to protect doctors from violence. The report also mentioned that there was no need for a new central law for this purpose.
Ongoing Investigation
The case involves the tragic death of a post-graduate trainee doctor. Her body was found in the seminar room of the hospital on August 9, 2024. The next day, the Kolkata police arrested Roy, who was working as a civic volunteer.
However, the victim’s family and many others were not satisfied with the initial police investigation. Because of this, the Calcutta High Court decided to transfer the case to the CBI on August 13.
Later, on August 19, the Supreme Court itself took suo-motu cognizance (which means the court took the case on its own) and started keeping a close watch on how the case was progressing. In October 2024, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Sanjoy Roy.
The next hearing in this case is expected to be in March 2025. However, if any party involved in the case requests an earlier hearing because of delays in trial or urgent reasons, the court may take it up sooner.
PREVIOUSLY IN APEX COURT
On 22nd January, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, has adjourned the hearing in the R G Kar rape-murder case to Today-January 29.
The case has sparked widespread attention due to the brutality of the crime and the demand for justice. The adjournment provides the apex court additional time to evaluate the legal arguments presented.
This decision follows the recent sentencing of the accused, Sanjoy Roy, to life imprisonment until death by a Kolkata court.
The Supreme Court will address the RG Kar case Today, with a bench that includes Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan.
This hearing pertains to the horrific rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, which took place on August 9.
The Chief Justice of India remarked,
“I received the list this morning. It appears that three applications have been filed by you (to Senior Advocate Karuna Nandy) one for additional documents, one for directions, and other matters. Please provide a copy to the other side… We will address this at 2 PM next Wednesday.”
The CJI further explained,
“We usually don’t exceed 20 matters; we review the first 20 and any newly listed items,”
Senior Advocate Karuna Nandy, representing the Association of Junior and Senior Doctors, brought up the matter listed as item 42 today.
Notably, on January 20, a sessions court in Kolkata’s Sealdah sentenced the prime accused, Sanjoy Roy, to life imprisonment in the RG Kar rape and murder case. Roy was found guilty of the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor after her night shift at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. He was convicted on January 18 under sections 64 (rape), 66 (causing injury resulting in the death of the rape victim), and 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Also Read: BREAKING | RG Kar Rape-Murder: Prime Accused Sanjay Roy Found Guilty By Kolkata Court
On August 9 last year, a 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. Her body was discovered in the hospital’s seminar room. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to prolonged protests by junior doctors in West Bengal, demanding justice and improved security at government hospitals.
The trial began on November 11, three months after the incident, in a Kolkata court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case from the Kolkata Police following a directive from the Calcutta High Court, has sought the “maximum punishment” for Roy. The trial concluded on January 9.
Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, was convicted on Saturday for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The crime, which occurred on August 9, triggered nationwide outrage over women’s safety. The verdict, delivered by Anirban Das, Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Sealdah court, came 57 days after the in-camera trial commenced on November 12.
Case Title:
In Re: Alleged Rape and Murder Incident of a Trainee Doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and Related Issues [SMW (Crl) No. 000002/2024].
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