A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, 25 June sharply criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for conducting what it termed a ‘lackadaisical’ investigation into the R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder case, nearly ten months after the junior doctor’s body was discovered on the hospital premises. The rebuke came after the court examined a progress report submitted by the CBI, which had been directed on 21 May to carry out a fresh probe through a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT).

What the Judges Said

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed that the progress detailed in the report fell far short of the court’s 21 May direction for a fresh, independent inquiry. He went further, raising the possibility that the investigation could be taken away from the CBI altogether if the agency continued at this pace.

Justice Shampa Sarkar pressed on specific lapses, pointing out that the seminar room inside the hospital — widely believed by many to be the actual crime scene — had reportedly been destroyed. She questioned why the CBI’s probe had been confined to establishing a larger conspiracy, as stated in its own progress report, and asked pointedly ‘who had tied the hands of the CBI’ when the court was actively seeking justice for the victim.

CBI’s Response in Court

The CBI’s counsel acknowledged before the bench that there may have been ‘some misunderstanding’ of the 21 May order, and assured the court that ‘investigation is on and every aspect in the matter will be probed.’ The agency did not offer a specific timeline or outline of next steps.

Family Demands Alternative Probe

The victim’s family, present during the proceedings, appealed to the court that if the CBI failed to identify the main culprits, the investigation should be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police. The family has consistently argued that the CBI effectively endorsed the initial findings of the Kolkata Police rather than conducting an independent inquiry.

Background: A Case That Has Dragged On

The body of the victim, a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found inside the seminar room on 9 August 2024. A Kolkata Police SIT initially investigated and arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer attached to the city police. The CBI subsequently took over following a High Court order, identified Roy as the sole accused, and he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The CBI has separately challenged the trial court’s order, seeking the death penalty.

Unsatisfied with the scope of the probe, the victim’s family returned to the High Court, alleging the CBI had merely rubber-stamped the Kolkata Police’s conclusions. The case was initially heard by a bench comprising Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Rai Chattopadhyay, both of whom recused themselves, before being reassigned to Justices Sarkar and Ghosh. Thursday’s hearing marks the latest in a series of judicial interventions that have kept the case under active scrutiny well beyond the conviction of the sole accused.

The court’s next steps — including whether it will strip the CBI of the investigation — are expected to become clearer at the upcoming hearing.