Calcutta High Court bench recuses from hearing RG Kar rape-murder case

A bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by justice Rajasekhar Mantha on Tuesday recused itself from hearing matters related to the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, citing an excessive workload and lack of sufficient time to dedicate to the sensitive case.

While stepping aside, the bench observed that there was a surplus of pending matters before the court and noted that, in the interest of justice, the case should be heard by a bench capable of devoting adequate time and attention to the proceedings.

The development comes amid indications that the West Bengal government may constitute a judicial commission in connection with the case.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the court accepted a status report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is currently probing the matter following directions from the High Court.

At an earlier hearing, Justice Mantha’s bench had clarified that the CBI was free to interrogate the convicted accused as well as any other suspects if required to further the investigation.

“The CBI can interrogate any person to take the investigation forward,” the bench had observed, following which the central agency submitted its updated report.

This is not the first time a bench has withdrawn from hearing the matter. In March 2025, a division bench headed by Justice Debangshu Basak also recused itself from hearing the petition filed by the victim’s family, citing an inability to allocate sufficient time for detailed proceedings. The victim’s family had sought an expedited hearing but the matter could not proceed fully before that bench.

The case relates to the recovery of the woman doctor’s body from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9 August 2024, triggering nationwide outrage and protests over women’s safety and conditions in public hospitals.

A day after the incident, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police. The investigation was later transferred to the CBI on the orders of the Calcutta High Court.

On 18 January 2025, a court in Sealdah found Roy guilty in the case, and two days later Judge Anirban Das sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, even before the trial court delivered its verdict, the victim’s parents had approached the High Court raising questions over the CBI probe and seeking further investigation into possible larger conspiracies and additional suspects.

The petition was initially placed before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who declined to hear the matter, noting that proceedings related to the RG Kar case were also underway in the Supreme Court of India.

The victim’s family subsequently moved the Supreme Court. During the hearing, then chief justice Sanjiv Khanna questioned why the same plea should be heard simultaneously in multiple courts and directed that the matter be pursued before the high court.

The case has since continued before different benches of the Calcutta High Court, with the victim’s family continuing to seek answers regarding the scope and direction of the investigation.

With IANS inputs