Unhappy over probe, R.G. Kar victim's parents meet CBI director; assured all assistance

The Hindu

5 days ago

Parents of the R.G. Medical College rape victim met CBI Director Praveen Sood on Thursday (August 7, 2025) to express their dissatisfaction with the agency's probe in the rape and murder of their daughter, officials said.
The parents, who arrived at the agency headquarters in the afternoon, received a patient hearing from Mr. Sood, who assured them "all assistance" in bringing the culprit to justice, they said.
This is the second meeting Sood has had with them. It lasted for half an hour.
The 26-year-old trainee post-graduate doctor was raped and murdered in the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in the Chest Medicine Department's seminar hall where she was on her night shift duty on August 9 last year.
The crime sent shock waves across the country sparking massive protests by doctors and medical students.
The CBI's probe nailed civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, who was handed over life imprisonment in January. The CBI has challenged the decision in Calcutta High Court seeking death penalty for Roy.
The parents, however, remained convinced that Roy did not act alone and there may be a cover up of the incident.
"From day one, we have said there was more than one person. She was a strong girl. There is no way only one man could have done this inside such a secure building. All the early cover-ups point to a bigger nexus," the victim's mother had said Sunday.
Her father alleged that attempts were made to destroy evidence.
"There were three bodies at the crematorium that day. Yet our daughter's body was cremated first. Why the hurry? Steps were taken to wipe out evidence," he alleged.
The parents also plan to meet senior leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah.
To mark the first anniversary of the tragic incident, two public events are scheduled in Kolkata in which protesters are expected to march to Kalighat area, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides.
'Abhaya Mancha', a forum formed in the wake of the incident, will observe Raksha Bandhan that day. On August 14, it plans a 'Reclaim the Night' march across Kolkata and the suburbs from 9 pm to midnight.
Roy was handed life term by Additional District and Sessions Judge in Sealdah, Anirban Das. The court had also ordered Roy to pay a fine of ₹50,000 and directed the state government to pay compensation of ₹17 lakh to the family of the deceased.
Judge Das stated that the crime did not fall under the "rarest of the rare" category, which justified the decision to not impose the death penalty on the convict.
Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was found guilty under Sections 64 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death), and 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The CBI challenged the order saying the case was indeed a 'rarest of rare' incident in which death penalty would be an appropriate punishment for Roy.