West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a fresh invitation into the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar medical college and hospital in Kolkata.
The announcement was made on Sunday, two years after the incident that sparked widespread protest across the state.
CM said the decision was made after a request from the victim’s mother Ratna Debnath, who is now a BJP MLA. He said she had written to him asking for a fresh investigation. After discussion with the Chief Secretary and a team of experts, the government concluded to start a new investigation under the special Commission Act, 1952.
Suvendu Adhikari also asked the police to property perform their duties in the case. He ordered a separate investigation into alleged mistakes and irregularities during the cremation of the victim. He also asked officials to take immediate action against those found responsibile.
Meanwhile, government hospitals across West Bengal observed two minutes of silence on Sunday in memory of the doctor.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which led major protest after the incident in 2024, organized a free medical camp for underprivileged people in Chitpur, North Kolkata.
The doctors said the camp was organized to remember the victim and continue for the justice. The Doctors’ Front also held a memorial march from College street to Esplanade. They demanded a proper investigation, arrest and trail of anyone who may have been directly or indirectly involved in the crime.
A day earlier, State Health Minister Sharadwat Mujhopadhyay had also announced a separate investigation by the Health Department. He said everyone was present at the hospital on the night of the incident would be questioned. Teachers and professors of the victim would also be spoken to as a part of the inquiry.
The Minister also said the investigation would also look into security and administrative failure at the hospital and examine how these problems were addressed previously.
In conclusion, a fresh investigation by the West Bengal government and Health Department have renewed hopes of finding answers in the RG Kar rape murder case.
