Doc’s rape & murder: 3 PILs filed in Calcutta HC for independent probe

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) Three Public Interest Litigations (PIL) were filed in Calcutta High Court on Monday in the alleged rape and murder case of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital last week.

The common plea in all the PILs is for a probe by an independent agency in the matter instead of the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police.

On Monday Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informed media persons that the investigation in the case would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in case the SIT was unable to complete the probe by next Sunday.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya admitted all the PILs and the matter will come up for hearing on Tuesday.

The PILs have been filed by a group of senior counsels including Phiroze Edulji, Kaustav Bagchi and Tarunjyoti Tiwari.

Apart from seeking an independent agency probe the petitioners have also made an appeal stating that those who are ‘actually involved’ in the heinous crime be booked and their names be made public.

At the same time, the petitioners have also appealed for directions by the Calcutta High Court for installation of CCTVs in all state-run hospitals, especially at the entry points of all the floors of the hospital building.

Kaustav Bagchi claimed that the PILs were being filed keeping in mind the public interest involving the sensitive issue of security of women in the state.

The PILs were admitted hours after Mamata Banerjee informed media persons that the probe would be handed over to the CBI in case SIT doesn’t finish the probe by next Sunday.

Soon after the Chief Minister’s announcement, Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal asserted that if more persons other than the man already arrested in the case are involved in the crime, they would be arrested in the next three to four days.

The investigating team has already arrested a civic volunteer Sanjib Ray in the case.

–IANS

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