Trinamool Leader Sues RG Kar Rape-Murder Victim's Father For Defamation

A senior Trinamool Congress leader has filed a defamation case against the father of the 34-year-old doctor, who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last year. Trinamool's state general secretary and spokesperson, Kunal Ghosh, has filed a case at a Kolkata court, accusing the rape-murder victim's father of defaming him.

Mr Ghosh has said in his complaint that the doctor's father recently told the media that the CBI allegedly took bribes from the ruling party in West Bengal and derailed the investigation into his daughter's chilling rape and murder. The doctor's father alleged Mr Ghosh went to meet CBI officials, paid them and "settled" everything.

A week back, the Trinamool leader sent a legal notice to the doctor's father, seeking an apology. He has said he has full respect and sympathy for the doctor's father. "But they cannot just keep saying whatever they want or whatever someone teaches them to say. If he does not apologise, he will have to prove in court what he has said. My lawyer has given him four days to respond after receiving the letter. After that, I will file a case," Mr Ghosh had said.

"He is crossing all the limits of lies and drama. I understand the pain of a father who has lost his daughter. But that leaves room for questioning the words of those who are doing and saying whatever they are saying. On whose words and on what information did you make false like this?" he asked.

A 34-year-old doctor on night shift was found raped and murdered in Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 last year. A civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, was arrested and later convicted of rape and murder. The case was first investigated by the Bengal police and then handed over to the CBI after a high court order. But the central agency did not make any more arrests in the rape-murder case.

The victim's father has criticised the CBI probe and alleged an understanding between the Mamata Banerjee government and the central agency. "CBI investigators just tried to re-establish the theory of the Kolkata Police, that the crime was just a case of rape and murder and not a case of gang-rape and murder. We have been raising this point since the beginning. But the CBI investigation officials in Kolkata constantly ignored our contentions," he said.

He has also accused the state government of bribing the CBI investigators. "Kunal Ghosh went and made the settlement."