RG Kar Hospital Rape-Murder Case: SC Hands Over Suo Motu Proceedings to Calcutta HC for Monitoring
SC transfers suo motu RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case to Calcutta High Court for monitoring compliance of judicial directions
The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred the suo motu proceedings relating to the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital to the Calcutta High Court, directing it to monitor the implementation of the orders passed in the case.
The Bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma held that the High Court was best placed to oversee compliance with directions already issued, given its proximity to the facts, authorities, and ongoing developments linked to the case.
While transferring the case, the Bench clarified that the Calcutta High Court would continue to ensure effective implementation of all directions issued so far, including those concerning investigation, administrative accountability, and institutional safeguards.
Previously, in November, the Court had declined to issue general directions shielding doctors protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, observing that such orders would interfere with police authority.
The Bench had said the matter could not be addressed in fragments and indicated its inclination to shift the entire issue to the Calcutta High Court for continuous monitoring. “We are grappling with so many things and there is no end to this. It is easier for the Calcutta High Court to monitor protests. Is it possible for us to monitor protests in Kolkata sitting in Delhi?” the Bench remarked. The Court had further added, “How can we pass blanket orders protecting doctors. The police has a right to call you.”
The trainee doctor was found murdered in the hospital’s seminar room on August 9 last year. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested a day later, and on January 20, a Kolkata trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment until death.
In January this year, the Court had asked hospitals to regularise the absence of doctors who participated in protests against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata. The Court had ordered that doctors who returned to duty after 22 August 2024 would have their absence regularised and that the said period would be considered as time on duty, not as leave.
Earlier, on 9 December 2024, while noting that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) trial might conclude within a month, the Supreme Court directed the National Task Force (NTF) to submit its final report within 12 weeks.
On 22 August 2024, the Supreme Court had assured doctors protesting over the Kolkata rape and murder incident, that no coercive steps shall be taken. This order came after a counsel informed the CJI Chandrachud-led bench that protesting doctors were facing backlash. Notably, on January 20, the Sealdah Sessions Court in Kolkata sentenced the main accused, Sanjoy Roy, to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College.
Hearing Date: December 17, 2025
Bench: Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma