2nd lawyer gives up RG Kar victim’s parents’ brief
Times of India | 13 December 2024
Kolkata: Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover on Wednesday withdrew from representing the RG Kar victim's family in the Supreme Court, Calcutta High Court, and the special CBI court. Grover was the second senior advocate representing the family after senior advocate Bikash Bhattacharya, whom she replaced.
The victim's father on Thursday said they received a message from Grover with this information, and they requested her not to withdraw. "There was no problem. She helped us a lot. We are yet to decide on an advocate to represent us at the high court and Supreme Court," he told TOI.
On Thursday, lawyer Amartya De appeared for the victim's family in the special CBI court. The victim's parents were also present at the court while the investigating officer of the detective department was cross-questioned by Sanjay Roy's lawyer, Sourav Bhattacharya. "We did not have any role to play as a police officer was questioned and cross-questioned," said De, the lawyer appearing for the victim's family on Thursday at the Sealdah Sessions Court.
"The family approached us on Wednesday evening. They have given us the nod to appear for them at the court on Thursday, and we appeared. We have to go through a huge number of documents now as there were a lot of developments in the case so far," said De.
According to sources, there was a disagreement between the lawyers and the family over certain aspects of the case. In a statement issued by her chamber on Wednesday, it was mentioned that the chamber of advocate Vrinda Grover, including advocates Soutik Banerjee and Arjun Gooptu, representing the victim's parents since Sept, were ‘constrained' to withdraw from the case "on account of certain intervening factors and circumstances."
"As lawyers and officers of the court, advocate Vrinda Grover and her legal associates render legal services only in accordance with law, evidence, and professional ethics," the statement read. She was appointed by the family, replacing another senior advocate, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who represented the family until Sept 9. Bhattacharya refused to comment on Grover's withdrawal.
The statement informed that the family was represented in the day-to-day trial in Sealdah Sessions Court since Nov 4 and also before ACJM Court for remand hearing since Sept 25. "During this period, the evidence of 43 prosecution witnesses was recorded, and bail of other accused persons consistently and successfully opposed. The remaining prosecution evidence is due to be completed in the next 2-3 days," it was mentioned.
(With inputs by Sanjib Chakraborty)
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