The West Bengal government is set to initiate the process of withdrawing cases registered against doctors and civil society members who participated in protests following the RG Kar rape and murder of 2024, according to sources at the state secretariat. The move, described as targeting cases filed during the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime, will cover those who took part in what authorities now characterise as 'peaceful and democratic' agitation demanding justice.

Judicial Commission to Guide Case Withdrawals

The withdrawal process will be driven by recommendations from a newly constituted judicial commission headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu. The commission is tasked with identifying cases in which protesters were allegedly booked to harass them or suppress the agitation, rather than on legitimate criminal grounds. Once the commission submits its findings, the state is expected to move formally to drop those cases.

Parallel Action Against Hospital Vandals

Alongside the case withdrawals, the police administration will separately identify and act against those accused of ransacking and vandalising R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in North Kolkata on the midnight of 14 August 2024. According to sources, the vandalism was reportedly carried out with twin objectives — to destroy evidence at the crime scene within the hospital premises, and to divert media attention from the 'Women, reclaim the night' protests that had mobilised thousands across the state.

IPS Officers Suspended, RG Kar Case Reopened

Following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s rise to power in West Bengal earlier this year, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered the reopening of the RG Kar case. He announced the suspension of three senior IPS officers — former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, former Deputy Commissioner (North Division) Abhishek Gupta, and former Deputy Commissioner (Central Division) Indira Mukherjee. Departmental inquiries have also been initiated against all three.

What the Government Said

'The new government's position on the RG Kar issue is clear,' a senior source at Nabanna — the state secretariat — said. 'The priority is to ensure punishment for those involved, directly or indirectly, in attempts to dilute the larger conspiracy through tampering with evidence, while also freeing peaceful protesters from what are seen as unnecessary cases and harassment,' the source added.

What Happens Next

The judicial commission's recommendations will be the critical first step before any formal withdrawal of cases can proceed. The parallel criminal proceedings against those accused of vandalism at the hospital are expected to advance independently. Both tracks signal that the new state administration intends to draw a sharp distinction between protest and sabotage — a framing that will likely face scrutiny from legal observers and political opponents in the weeks ahead.