Kolkata: A special four-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from its New Delhi headquarters arrived in Kolkata on Monday to accelerate the agency’s fresh investigation into the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.
The fresh probe is being conducted following an order by the Calcutta High Court earlier this year directing the CBI to revisit the case from the beginning. The team’s arrival comes just five days before the second anniversary of the victim’s death on August 8.
After arriving in Kolkata, the four-member team held an extensive review meeting with officers of the CBI’s Kolkata unit to assess the progress of the investigation. The officers later visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and inspected the suspected crime scene — a seminar room within the hospital premises.
The development comes amid recent changes in the investigation team. Acting on concerns raised by the victim’s parents over the pace of the probe, the CBI replaced its earlier investigating officer, Seema Pahuja, with Sandipani Garg. The victim’s family had alleged lapses in the earlier investigation.
Last week, the CBI submitted its 11th status report on the progress of the fresh probe before a court in Sealdah, Kolkata.
The body of the young doctor was found inside a seminar hall on the hospital campus on August 9, 2024. Investigators concluded that she had been raped and murdered the previous night while she was on duty. The incident triggered widespread protests across West Bengal and other parts of the country, sparking national outrage and demands for justice.
The Kolkata Police initially investigated the case before it was transferred to the CBI following court intervention. Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer attached to the Kolkata Police, remains the sole convict in the case and is currently serving a life sentence.
The Calcutta High Court’s directive for a fresh investigation and the induction of a new probe team have once again brought national attention to one of the most high-profile crimes involving a medical professional in recent years.
With IANS Inputs