'Hand over all documents immediately': Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI investigation into the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. The court asked to hand over all documents to CBI immediately.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam was hearing a plea filed by the parents of the trainee doctor, who were seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case. A number of other petitions were also filed for a CBI probe into the case.

In its order, the HC highlighted the lapses in the probe and said even after five days, there has been no significant progress in the investigation. The court said the parents of the victim fear if the investigation is allowed to continue in this manner, it will derail.

"Under normal circumstances, we would have called for a report. But the case is peculiar. And the facts warrant appropriate orders without loss of time. Without significant progress in the investigation, we would be well justified in accepting the prayers by the victim’s parents that evidence would be destroyed," the bench said.

There have been demands for a probe by the central agency into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. Resident doctors in the various states have been protesting and have gone on an indefinite strike against the rape-murder.

The protest came in response to a nationwide indefinite strike call by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College while on duty.

The semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital on Thursday night. Raising slogans of 'we want justice, doctors here took out the protest march under the banner of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), PGIMER to demand justice for the victim.

Describing the incident as a heinous crime, Dr Praneeth Reddy, joint secretary of the ARD, PGIMER demanded a CBI probe into the matter and strict punishment for the culprit. "Our demand is a CBI probe into the matter," said Reddy.

(With inputs from Nalini Sharma)