'Who tied the hands of CBI?': Calcutta HC on RG Kar case; victim's mother, now BJP MLA, says she is 'deeply disturbed'

The observations came after the CBI submitted a fresh status report before a division bench comprising Justices Shampa Sarkar and Tirthankar Ghosh in compliance with the court's May 21 directive.

After examining the report, both judges criticised the progress of the investigation, with Justice Tirthankar Ghosh remarking that the probe had failed to meet the expectations set by the court's earlier order.

Justice Ghosh also questioned whether the case would eventually have to be taken away from the CBI.

Justice Shampa Sarkar asked, "Who has tied the hands of the CBI?" and questioned why the probe was restricted to the conclusion of a larger conspiracy.

Victim's mother questions CBI's progress

Reacting to the court's observations, the victim's mother, Ratna Debnath, who was elected as a BJP MLA in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, expressed disappointment over the pace of the CBI investigation.

"The judges are clearly not convinced by the CBI probe, and that deeply disturbs me.

"Our former Chief Minister stood against the rule of law. Today, the rule of law has been established in West Bengal, so what is preventing the CBI from conducting a fair and impartial investigation?"

She added, "It has been two years since the incident, yet justice remains elusive. If we are given the opportunity, we are capable of ensuring justice. But the question is: what has the CBI been doing all this while?

"We have not gone through the CBI's report, but the judges' observations suggest that there is nothing substantially new in it. Even so, I remain confident that justice will ultimately prevail because we have done nothing wrong. We will continue to speak the truth, no matter the circumstances."

Case background

The case pertains to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024.

A civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, Sanjay Roy, was arrested shortly after the incident.

Following concerns over the initial investigation, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI.

On January 18, 2025, a Kolkata court convicted Roy of rape and murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment till death.

The victim's family, however, has consistently maintained that the crime involved a larger conspiracy and that the actual perpetrators were shielded.

Why the case became a major political issue

The RG Kar case emerged as one of the BJP's principal campaign issues during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Along with the Sandeshkhali controversy, the BJP repeatedly targeted the then Trinamool Congress government over women's safety, law and order, and the handling of the investigation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while campaigning for Ratna Debnath in Panihati, had promised justice in cases involving crimes against women.

Debnath, who entered electoral politics after her daughter's death, had said her primary objective was to fight for justice.

Steps taken by the BJP government

Soon after assuming office, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari suspended three IPS officers—Vineet Goyal, Indira Mukherjee and Abhishek Gupta—pending an inquiry into their alleged roles in handling the case.

Adhikari also alleged that two police officers had offered money to the victim's family on behalf of the previous state government.

However, the primary rape and murder investigation continues to remain under the CBI's jurisdiction.