Overview
- A 31-year-old postgraduate doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College on August 9, 2024, an incident that provoked nationwide protests by doctors, students and civil society.
- On May 21 the Calcutta High Court directed a fresh Special Investigation Team to reopen the probe and placed the investigation under its supervision with a short deadline to show progress.
- The victim’s parents have publicly accused police and local political figures of obstructing the inquiry, filed a petition in Sealdah court alleging the viscera report was tampered with, and sought arrests of named individuals.
- Victim’s mother Ratna Debnath, now a BJP MLA, told reporters she knows the names of those involved and vowed they will be caught and punished while the state government has suspended three senior IPS officers for alleged negligence or evidence destruction.
- Coverage has split along political lines, with pro-government outlets questioning the accusations and opposition-aligned outlets amplifying the family’s claims, and the next key developments to watch are the fresh SIT’s findings and the CBI or court responses to the family’s petition.