The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged torture of two women, who were arrested in September during protests against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The top court passed the order dismissing Calcutta High Court’s order directing a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that not everything could be transferred to the CBI.

The top court also said that senior IPS officers of the state need to be entrusted with the investigation.

The top court said that the SIT, which will comprise senior officers – whose names were submitted by the West Bengal government – would submit a report on the progress of the investigation on a weekly basis to the Calcutta High Court.

“We request the Chief Justice of the High Court to constitute a bench before which the SIT will submit its report…The SIT should investigate without being influenced by the previous comments of the High Court. The victim can immediately contact the SIT,” the Bench said.

The case concerns two women, Rebeka Khatun Molla and Rama Das, who were arrested during the protests outside RG Kar Hospital earlier this year and released a day later.

Shortly after their release, the women moved a plea before the High Court alleging they were “physically tortured” while in police custody. In court, a jail doctor noted that there were signs of hematoma (a solid swelling of clotted blood within tissue) in one of the legs of one of the women, however, an examining doctor of Diamond Harbour Medical College and Hospital said that they witnessed no external injury.

The women also claimed that they were “unnecessarily” arrested on the charges that they “instigated” another protestor to make comments against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s daughter.

On November 6, a division bench of the high court upheld a single-judge order directing a CBI probe into the allegations levelled by the women. However, on November 11, the top court had stayed the order.

Kolkata:

The father of the deceased woman medic of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday said he has spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who has called him for a meeting.

He, however, declined to divulge much about his talks with Shah and when and where the meeting would be held.

“I have spoken to him (Amit Shah). He has called me (for a meeting). I cannot talk much about it, but the meeting will take place,” the father of the deceased woman medic at the RG Kar Hospital told reporters.

The parents of the victim had earlier written to Shah on October 22 requesting him to give them an appointment to guide and help them get justice.

State BJP leaders had said they would try to arrange a meeting between Shah and the couple during his visit to Kolkata on October 27, but it did not happen.

The parents had, however, said they were not upset about not getting an audience with Shah during his visit and expressed hope that they may get the opportunity to meet the Union home minister in future.

The body of the on-duty woman medic, who was raped and murdered, was recovered from the seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital on August 9, following which the junior doctors went on a ‘cease-work’ across West Bengal demanding justice for the victim.

They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.

The Kolkata Police, which was investigating the crime initially, had arrested one civic volunteer before the CBI took over the investigation following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, caught on the backfoot over the RG Kar rape-murder case, hit back today with a video that purportedly showed pro-separatist slogans at a protest rally. Trinamool spokesperson Riju Dutta, who posted the video on X, claimed it was a clear indication that the protest was “hijacked by the Left and the ultra Left”.

“These Anti Nationals or Urban Naxals has no interest in the justice for the victim, they just want to propagate their Anti India Agenda! Let me be very clear – KASHMIR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF INDIA & WILL ALWAYS BE!” his post read.

“I, humbly request all men & women of Kolkata attending such Rally’s…plz think ten times before falling in their trap and unknowingly encouraging such Anti India propaganda!” he added.

The undated video that accompanied the post showed young men and women raising “Azadi” slogans for Kashmir as bystanders, including Kolkata police personnel, watch. NDTV could not independently verify the video.

A case has been registered at Patuli Police station in Kolkata against unknown persons under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Azadi slogans, while having their genesis in Kashmir, have become a part of women’s movement in the country. But there, the slogans have been adapted to demand freedom from the patriarchal system and rape culture. It has become women’s battle cry for the freedom to make their own decision and live their own lives.

The massive statewide protests over the August 9 rape-murder at the RG Kar hospital has mostly seen the “We want justice” slogan. But the Azadi slogans have been raised at women’s “Reclaim the night” protests held alongside.

The flood of protests had caught the ruling Trinamool Congress unawares, especially with a section of their own leaders being caught up in the public sentiment and criticizing the party. One of its MPs, Jawahar Sircar, even quit parliament and the party in protest.

The Kashmir slogans appear to have handed the party – which had been claiming that the protests were being backed by the Left – a chance to fight back.