NEW DELHI, Mar 17: Junior doctors of Kolkata, who had held months long large scale protests demanding justice to the victim of the gruesome rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year, on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s permission to pursue a petition for a fresh probe before the Calcutta High Court.
The Supreme Court had earlier in the day suo motu heard the case. The bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna while dismissed the victim’s parents’ plea for a fresh probe into their daughter’s rape and murder held by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it permitted them to pursue a writ petition before a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court.
Welcoming the Supreme Court’s nod, Aniket Mahato, a resident doctor at RGKMCH and President of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), raised questions about whether justice has been served for the victim.
“After a long seven months, where is justice? We strongly believe that more than one person is involved in this incident… According to the CSFL report, mixed DNA has been mentioned. The extent of injury in the report by the Multi-Institutional Medical Board indicates the possibility of more than one person being involved. Moreover, where is the supplementary charge-sheet that carries information on the larger conspiracy and hush up?” Dr Mahato asked.
He added that he welcomes the Calcutta High Court to help resolve the public’s unanswered questions and bring to light the motives of all the culprits, bolstering the path to justice. Resident doctor at RGKMCH and member of WBJDF Kinjal Nanda echoed similar sentiments.
“We have faith in the Calcutta High Court. From the beginning, one of our initial demands was for the probe to be conducted under judicial monitoring. Even though Sanjay Roy has been convicted of the rape and murder, his motive and the reason behind the evidence tampering during the investigation is still unknown,” Dr Nanda said.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer attached to the Kolkata Police was held guilty in the case and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Additional District and Sessions Court, Sealdah, in January despite the prosecution’s pleas for the death penalty.
The victim’s parents were present at the Supreme Court on Monday. They were represented by Senior Advocate Karuna Nundy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the CBI. “We welcome the directive and are grateful to the Supreme Court. However, what we have lost will never come back. We will continue fighting for a future where no parent has to experience what we have to,” the victim’s mother said on Monday.
(Manas Dasgupta)