The Supreme Court of India expressed grave concerns regarding the investigation into the tragic rape and murder of a medical student at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital during a hearing on the case. The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, questioned the procedural irregularities in the police probe, particularly the timing of the postmortem and the delay in registering the case as an unnatural death.
The court highlighted that the victim’s postmortem was conducted between 6.10 pm and 7.10 pm on August 9th, while the case was officially registered as an unnatural death at 11.30 pm on the same day. This raised serious questions about the adherence to standard legal protocols in the investigation. “How was it that the postmortem was conducted at 6.10 pm on August 9 and yet the unnatural death information is sent to Tala police station at 11.30 pm on August 9. This is extremely disturbing,” the bench stated.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), informed the court that the FIR was registered at 11.45 pm, following the victim’s cremation. The CBI’s report indicated that the victim’s family was misled about their daughter’s death, suggesting that the crime scene had been tampered with. The Kolkata Police had initially informed the victim’s family that the medical student had died by suicide.
The heated exchange in the courtroom saw Solicitor General Tushar Mehta reprimanding senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who represented the West Bengal government. Mehta expressed his displeasure with Sibal’s alleged laughter during the proceedings, finding it insensitive considering the gravity of the case. “A girl has lost her life in the most inhuman and undignified manner. Somebody has died. Do not at least laugh,” Mehta said, prompting an intervention from Sibal.
Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP IT cell, shared a video clip of the proceedings on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing Sibal for his “complete insensitivity.” Malviya claimed that the legal team representing the West Bengal government, led by Sibal, showed no remorse for the victim’s death, echoing sentiments expressed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
