SC postpones next hearing of RG Kar rape and murder case to October 1
Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Monday postponed the date of the next hearing of the RG Kar rape and murder case to October 1.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala, it is learnt, was urged by a counsel appearing for one of the parties that the suo motu case, listed for hearing on September 27, be heard next week due to some urgent reasons.
“We will list it for hearing on next Tuesday, which is October 1,” the CJI said.
During the last hearing on September 17, the Apex Court had observed that the revelations in the status report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is “disturbing” and refused to divulge the contents as it may hamper probe.
The CBI was also directed to submit in the next hearing a status report on the probe into alleged financial irregularities relating to the hospital. Observing that a 90-day time is available to file the chargesheet, the Apex Court said that CBI is not “sleeping over” the investigation and they need to be given time to “unearth the truth.”
The CJI said that CBI has responded specifically to the issues raised by the court, including whether the dead body challan in the statutory form was submitted along with the autopsy report. “CBI is also exploring the possibility of whether the scene of the crime was tampered with, evidence was destroyed, whether there was the complicity of other persons in failing to report the crime etc...” CJI had said. The court had also asked the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to ensure CBI is handed over the entire CCTV footage by Kolkata Police.
Taking note of a letter written by the father of the deceased, the top court had directed that the “valuable” inputs furnished by him should be duly considered by the investigating officer.
The medic’s body with severe injury marks was found on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.
