The Calcutta High Court on Thursday, 6 August 2025, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to significantly accelerate its fresh investigation into the R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder case, expressing sharp displeasure over the pace of the new probe ordered by the court itself. A division bench comprising Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Tirthankar Ghosh made the observation after reviewing a progress report submitted by the CBI, which also sought additional time to complete its inquiry.

Court's Displeasure Over Pace of Probe

After examining the CBI's progress report, the bench made clear its dissatisfaction with the rate of progress in the fresh investigation. The court stated it expected to see 'substantial and positive progress' before the next hearing, scheduled for 28 August. Critically, the bench observed that the new CBI probe team appeared to be operating under the shadow of the earlier investigation — the very approach the court had directed it to set aside.

Justice Sarkar was pointed in her remarks: 'Forget the previous investigation. Put that earlier investigation aside and look at the matter in a new light. Don't conduct a new investigation influenced by the previous investigation,' she said from the bench.

Background: From Kolkata Police to CBI

The body of a young junior doctor was discovered inside a seminar hall on the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital campus in Kolkata on 9 August 2024. Investigators determined she had been raped and murdered the previous night while on duty. The case triggered mass protests across West Bengal and other parts of the country, demanding justice for the victim and accountability for the medical establishment.

Kolkata Police initially investigated the case and arrested the sole accused, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, who was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The investigation was later transferred to the CBI, but the agency's first probe team faced accusations of merely endorsing the Kolkata Police's findings rather than conducting an independent inquiry.

Family's Dissatisfaction and New Probe Team

Dissatisfied with the CBI's initial investigation, the victim's family approached the Calcutta High Court, which ordered a fresh probe by a new CBI team. However, the court noted on Thursday that even this new team had failed to meaningfully revisit key aspects of the case — from the reported scene of crime at the seminar hall to the crematorium where the victim's last rites were reportedly conducted in haste.

Acting on concerns raised by the victim's parents, the CBI had recently replaced its earlier investigating officer, Seema Pahuja, with Sandipani Garg. The family had alleged lapses in the earlier probe, a charge that informed the court's decision to order the change.

What the Court Has Directed

The bench reiterated that the new CBI team must re-examine all points related to the crime independently — not through the lens of the previous investigation. The court's direction covers the full chain of evidence, from the scene of crime to the handling of the victim's remains. The next hearing on 28 August will be a critical test of whether the agency has responded to the court's repeated directives. The case remains one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings involving a medical professional in India in recent years.