RG Kar case: Bengal suspends 3 IPS officers over 'lapses'
What's the story
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the suspension of three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on Friday. The suspended officers are Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and ex-deputy commissioners Indira Mukherjee and Abhishek Gupta. The suspensions come in the wake of a departmental probe initiated against these officers after they were alleged to have shown dereliction of duty and mishandled during the initial investigation into the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.
Allegations
CM Adhikari announces suspension of the officers
The officers have been accused of offering bribes to the victim's parents and holding an unauthorized press conference. CM Adhikari said, "The Bengal government suspended three police officers for 'lapses' in the investigation of the RG Kar rape-murder case. The government will start a departmental probe against ex-Kolkata CP Vineet Goyal, two other officers," said CM Suvendu Adhikari. He clarified that while these officers are suspended, the actual investigation is being handled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Proceedings
Disciplinary proceedings to be led by state home secretary
CM Adhikari said that the disciplinary proceedings and departmental inquiry will be led by the state home secretary under the supervision of the chief secretary. The decision to suspend these officers was taken in the wake of a departmental probe initiated against them during this high-profile case. The RG Kar hospital rape-murder case involves a postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at her workplace on August 9, 2024.
Family ordeal
Details of the case
Reportedly, the victim's parents were initially misled about her condition. They were told she had fallen ill and later informed of a suicide. When they reached the hospital, they were made to wait for hours before being allowed to see their daughter's body. A relative of the victim told Lallantop that "she had no clothes on her body" and "her legs were 90 degrees apart," indicating a violent sexual assault.
Conviction
CBI court convicts ex-civic volunteer Sanjay Roy
A CBI court in Kolkata's Sealdah convicted former civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in connection with the RG Kar rape and murder case. However, Roy maintains that he is being framed. The case has drawn widespread attention and criticism over its handling by law enforcement agencies. Recently, the victim's mother, Ratna Debnath, won the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election for the BJP in the Panihati constituency.