Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister, made an announcement that there would be another probe into the case of rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor from the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024, as he claimed that the police did not perform their duties properly.
He said that another probe was initiated at the request of the victim's mother, who is a BJP legislator, and he promised to punish the perpetrators on the second anniversary of the case.
Suvendu said that this investigation was made "under the Special Commission Act, 1952," following a discussion with the chief secretary and a panel of experts.
He ordered another investigation into the allegations of the improper handling of the victim's last rites.
Political context
This took place in a different political situation than you might have imagined. Only days ago, the BJP government had formed in West Bengal after the defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the state. Thus the new investigation is going to be conducted by an opposition-turned-government against the very administration which dealt with the original investigation, a significant fact which needs to be stated in any article discussing politics rather than procedural issues alone.
Two years since the crime
According to the notification issued by the West Bengal Health Department on August 8, all health department institutions were instructed to maintain two minutes of silence in the honor of the deceased, named "Abhaya," between 11:00 AM and 11:02 AM on August 9, 2026 – the exact two years since the body of the victim was discovered in the seminar room of a hospital.
"Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister, made an announcement that there would be another probe into the case of rape and murder of a postgradu…"