The Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government on Friday suspended three police officers over alleged lapses in the investigation of the 2024 RG Kar rape and murder case. Chief Minister Adhikari announced that the state administration would initiate departmental proceedings against former Vineet Goyal and two other officers linked to the case involving a trainee doctor who was found dead inside the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. Investigators later concluded that the young medic had been raped and murdered by civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, triggering outrage and protests across India demanding justice and safer workplaces for healthcare professionals.
Speaking on the issue, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the three officers were involved in mishandling the investigation, attempting to offer money to the victim’s parents as a bribe, and conducting an unauthorised press conference regarding the brutal crime that occurred in August 2024. He clarified that the state government would not interfere with the actual criminal investigation, which continues to be handled by the Central Bureau of Investigation and argued before the court. Adhikari stated that the departmental inquiry and disciplinary proceedings would be overseen by the state home secretary under the supervision of the chief secretary, ensuring administrative accountability without affecting the ongoing CBI probe into the sensational case.
Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, who was recently elected as a BJP MLA from the Panihati Assembly Constituency, said on Wednesday that taking oath as a legislator marked the first concrete step in her battle for justice for her daughter. The trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at her workplace on August 9, 2024, a case that sparked nationwide anger and prolonged demonstrations by medical professionals. Recalling an emotional moment, she said visiting Nabanna for a meeting of newly elected MLAs with Chief Minister Adhikari reminded her of the police lathi-charge she faced during the earlier Nabanna Abhiyan protests. She noted the irony that Kolkata Police personnel who once blocked protesters were now taking selfies with her and escorting her into the state secretariat.
The newly elected MLA was among 144 legislators who took the oath on the opening day of the swearing-in ceremony at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Reflecting on her journey from grieving mother to public representative, she said the change symbolised a larger struggle for accountability and justice in the RG Kar case. The shocking death of the trainee doctor had shaken the medical fraternity and led to demands for stricter security measures at hospitals and workplaces for women healthcare workers. The case also intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with opposition parties repeatedly accusing the previous administration of failing to ensure transparency and justice in the investigation into one of the state’s most controversial criminal cases.