Kolkata, 19 May (H.S.): The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to seal all areas connected to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case that are required to be preserved for the purpose of investigation, including the seminar hall where the incident took place.

A division bench comprising Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Tirthankar Ghosh asked the CBI during the hearing whether the seal on the crime scene at RG Kar Hospital had been opened. The bench observed that the crime scene must remain protected in the interest of the investigation.

The case relates to the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. The accused, Sanjay Roy, has already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court. However, the victim’s family has approached the High Court again, raising questions over the investigation process.

During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that the seminar hall remained sealed. However, counsel for the victim’s family claimed that the office of former principal Sandip Ghosh, located on the seventh floor of the hospital building, was still open. The court then questioned the agency on whether it had considered sealing any other areas necessary for the investigation and whether any additional portions of the premises had been sealed.

The bench reiterated that all relevant locations linked to the incident should be secured and sealed. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for Thursday.

Notably, three different benches of the Calcutta High Court had earlier recused themselves from hearing the matter. On May 12, a division bench comprising Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Rai Chattopadhyay stepped aside while observing that the case required urgent hearing. Subsequently, the bench headed by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul directed that all petitions filed by the victim’s family, including the plea seeking inspection of the crime scene, would be heard by a newly constituted division bench. The matter is now being heard by the bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Tirthankar Ghosh.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh