The RG Kar Hospital rape and murder victim’s family and colleagues on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court order allowing them to pursue in the Calcutta High Court their petition for a further court-monitored CBI probe into the gruesome incident, underlining that it is a step forward in their pursuit of justice.
Speaking to The Indian Express from New Delhi over phone, the victim’s mother said, “It is a step forward in our fight for justice. There are many people involved in the crime and efforts were made to tamper with the evidence. For this reason, a probe is required. We have faith in the courts and believe that a court-monitored probe is needed. We will not get our daughter back but all we want is justice and will continue to fight for it till our last breath. Holi and Diwali do not mean anything for us now.”
The victim’s parents were to fly back to Kolkata from the national capital where they attended the SC hearing on Monday.
Aniket Mahato, a key figure in the junior doctors’ protest after the August 9 incident last year, said, “If the culprits of such a heinous crime are allowed to roam freely, then what kind of justice it is? We will be able to move forward if the probe is expedited in the High Court. It is a positive step. We all want to know how and why such a crime took place in such a busy hospital. If the High Court is able to play a positive role, it will be a great thing for us.”
Kinjal Nanda, who also played an important role in the junior doctors’ agitation, expressed confidence in the High Court’s handling of the case. “We are happy that the Supreme Court has allowed the High Court to monitor the case. We have full faith in the High Court. The biggest question is if Sanjay Roy was the only one who committed the crime, then what was his motive? One cannot deny the alleged tampering of evidence. The question is, how influential was Sanjay Roy that efforts were made to suppress the matter to protect him? We want answers, and we hope the High Court will look into all of this in the near future,” Nanda stated.
A separate plea by the parents seeking further court-monitored CBI probe into the incident is already pending in the Calcutta High Court which recently asked them to seek clarification from the top court on the issue.
The victim’s parents were unhappy with the CBI probe and had moved the top court for a further probe into the case.
The bench said it will consider in the week starting May 13 the aspects related to recommendations and suggestions on preventing gender-based violence and developing safety protocols for doctors and medical staff at hospitals across the country with the court-appointed National Task Force (NTF).
The crime at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year triggered prolonged protests in West Bengal and a nationwide outrage.
The Kolkata Police had arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, a day after the crime before the case was handed over to the central agency for investigation.
The top court subsequently assumed oversight of the matter on August 19, 2024.
A chargesheet was filed by the CBI in October last year and Roy was sentenced to life imprisonment till death by a Kolkata court on January 20 this year.
— With PTI inputs