RG Kar case: CBI special team in Kolkata to fast-track fresh probe
Synopsis
Five days before the second anniversary of the RG Kar rape and murder, a special CBI team from Delhi has landed in Kolkata to reinvestigate the case from scratch — on Calcutta High Court orders. With the probe officer already replaced and an 11th status report filed, the case is far from closed, even though one man is already serving a life sentence.
Key Takeaways
A special four-member CBI team from New Delhi arrived in Kolkata on 3 August 2025 to accelerate the fresh RG Kar investigation.
The fresh probe was ordered by the Calcutta High Court , directing the CBI to revisit the case from the beginning.
The team inspected the crime scene — a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital — and reviewed the case with the CBI's Kolkata unit.
The CBI replaced investigating officer Seema Pahuja with Sandipani Garg following concerns raised by the victim's family over the pace of the probe.
The agency has filed its 11th status report before a Sealdah court; sole convict Sanjay Roy is serving a life sentence .
The team's arrival comes five days before the second anniversary of the victim's death on 8 August .
A special four-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), deputed from its New Delhi headquarters, arrived in Kolkata on Monday, 3 August 2025 to accelerate the agency's fresh investigation into the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. The team's arrival comes just five days before the second anniversary of the victim's death on 8 August.
Why the Fresh Probe Was Ordered
The renewed investigation follows a directive from the Calcutta High Court issued earlier this year, instructing the CBI to revisit the case from scratch. The court's order came amid sustained pressure from the victim's family, who alleged lapses in the original probe. The case had initially been investigated by the Kolkata Police before being transferred to the CBI following judicial intervention.
What the Special Team Did on Arrival
After reaching Kolkata, the four-member team conducted an extensive review meeting with officers of the CBI's Kolkata unit to assess the current status of the investigation. The officers subsequently visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and inspected the suspected crime scene — a seminar room within the hospital premises where the victim's body was discovered on 9 August 2024. Investigators had concluded that she was raped and murdered the previous night while on duty.
Key Developments in the Investigation
The special team's deployment follows a recent change in the probe's leadership. Acting on concerns raised by the victim's parents over the pace of the investigation, the CBI replaced its earlier investigating officer, Seema Pahuja, with Sandipani Garg. Last week, the agency submitted its 11th status report on the fresh probe before a court in Sealdah, Kolkata.
Notably, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer attached to the Kolkata Police, remains the sole convict in the case and is currently serving a life sentence. The victim's family and several legal observers have raised questions about whether the full extent of the crime has been investigated.
National Outrage and Ongoing Scrutiny
The August 2024 killing triggered widespread protests across West Bengal and other parts of the country, with demonstrators demanding justice and systemic reforms to protect healthcare workers. The case remains one of the most high-profile crimes involving a medical professional in recent Indian history.
The Calcutta High Court's directive for a fresh probe and the induction of a new investigating officer have once again placed the case under national scrutiny, with the second anniversary of the crime approaching rapidly.
Point of View
Combined with a change in investigating officer, signals that the Calcutta High Court's patience with the pace of this probe is running thin — and rightly so. That the agency is filing its 11th status report without a conclusive chargesheet on the broader conspiracy angle raises uncomfortable questions. Sanjay Roy's conviction settles the individual act, but the victim's family's persistent allegations of lapses suggest the institutional failures that enabled the crime remain unaddressed. With the second anniversary days away and public memory still raw, the pressure on the CBI to produce substantive findings — not just status reports — has never been higher.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the CBI sent a special team to Kolkata in the RG Kar case?
The CBI sent a special four-member team from its New Delhi headquarters to Kolkata on 3 August 2025 to accelerate a fresh investigation ordered by the Calcutta High Court, which directed the agency to revisit the rape and murder case from scratch. The team reviewed the probe's progress and inspected the crime scene at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
What did the Calcutta High Court order in the RG Kar case?
The Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to conduct a fresh investigation into the August 2024 rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, starting from the beginning of the case. The order came amid concerns over lapses in the original probe, including complaints raised by the victim's family.
Who is the convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case?
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer attached to the Kolkata Police, is the sole convict in the case and is currently serving a life sentence. However, the fresh CBI probe is examining whether all aspects of the crime have been fully investigated.
Why was the CBI's investigating officer changed in the RG Kar case?
The CBI replaced investigating officer Seema Pahuja with Sandipani Garg after the victim's parents raised concerns about the pace of the investigation and alleged lapses in the earlier probe. The change was made to address family grievances and reinvigorate the inquiry.
What is the significance of the second anniversary of the RG Kar case?
The victim, a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found murdered on 9 August 2024. The second anniversary on 8 August 2025 falls just days after the special CBI team's arrival, renewing public and legal scrutiny of a case that triggered nationwide protests and demands for justice for healthcare workers.
