Calcutta HC's RG Kar rape & murder case bench lead judge recuses himself from hearing

Kolkata, Nov 6 (IANS) Justice Debangshu Basak, the "lead judge" or a "senior judge" of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court hearing the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, on Thursday, recused from hearing the matter.

However, it is not yet clear why Justice Basak recused from hearing in the matter.

Now the matter will be referred to the Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice Sujay Paul, who will decide on the new division bench to hear the matter.

The parents of the woman junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, who became a victim of rape and murder within the hospital premises in August last year, approached Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh seeking a fresh probe in the matter since the beginning.

They sought a fresh probe in the matter after expressing dissatisfaction over the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter, which identified civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the sole accused in the rape and murder case.

The victim's parents claimed that the rape and murder of their daughter was a part of a larger conspiracy involving several influential persons.

However, earlier this year, Justice Ghosh recused from hearing the matter.

Thereafter, the victim's parents approached the Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi.

Now, on Thursday, Justice Basak also recused from hearing the matter.

Besides, the Calcutta High Court, the matter of the R.G. Kar rape and murder case is also being heard at the Supreme Court and a trial court in Kolkata.

This same trial court earlier had identified Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer attached to the Kolkata Police, as the sole accused in the case and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, CBI had challenged that order of the trial court and approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a death sentence for Sanjay Roy.

--IANS

src/khz