RG Kar rape-murder case update: The parents of the R G Kar Medical College rape-murder victim Sunday said they are reaching out to various political parties, except the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), to join the August 9 Nabanna Abhijan, a march to the West Bengal secretariat, demanding justice for their daughter on her death anniversary.
Talking to The Indian Express, the victim’s father said, “We want every person of this state to join us in the rally to demand justice. We have also visited all political parties, be it the BJP, the Congress, the Left, Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), and Sangrami Joutha Mancha. They can all join us without their party flags or banners. This is an apolitical rally for my daughter and for all those daughters who have not got justice.”
The postgraduate trainee doctor was found raped and murdered in a college building last year. A civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, was found guilty of rape and murder by a Kolkata court in January 2025 and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the doctor’s family believes he was not alone in committing the crime.
The parents said that they met with Md Salim, the state secretary of the CPI(M). They also visited Bidhan Bhavan to invite Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar, but he was not present at that time. On Saturday, the parents met with BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya, and later they also met SUCI state secretary Chandidas Bhattacharya.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Shamik Bhattacharya said, “Our workers will be participating to express our solidarity. The state government altered the location of the incident, tampered with evidence, and even facilitated an early cremation. The police, with complete negligence, destroyed all biological evidence. We stand with the family in their time of grief.”
The parents of the doctor claim that both the Kolkata police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after taking over the case, have failed to deliver justice. “We are running from one court to another but are not getting justice. If necessary, we will fight to obtain justice ourselves; our struggle will continue,” said the father.
The parents believe that the TMC has denied them justice. “I have not spoken to them, and I will not invite them; they do not even deserve to be acknowledged. It is due to their cover-up that neither I nor my child has got justice,” said the father.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP previously stated that since he would join the protest rally, other political parties may not participate.
SUCI state secretary Chandidas Bhattacharya, however, said, “We sympathise with them. We have full support for the junior doctors’ movement, but it is seen that many rallies, even after being called apolitical, turn into a political rally. We will be there at the doctors’ rally.”
The Nabanna Abhijan is scheduled to start from Dorina crossing at 12 pm on Saturday, but the police have yet to grant permission for the rally.
“We have already mailed the police for permission but till now we have not got any reply. No one can stop us if they think that by not giving permission, we will not have the rally. They are wrong. It will be a peaceful rally,” said the father.
TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh told reporters, “While we sympathise with the parents of the RG Kar rape-murder victim, what they are saying is unfortunate. Their actions appear to be prompted and influenced by certain quarters.”
Last month, BJP leader Adhikari met with the parents of the victim and urged them to join the Nabanna Abhijan rally against the state government.
The rally commemorates one year since the crime that mobilised the public to demand safety for women in public spaces and justice for the victim. Over the past ten months, the victim’s parents have actively participated in numerous protests seeking justice for their daughter.
After Roy’s sentencing, the CBI and the state government appealed to the Calcutta High Court, challenging the order and seeking capital punishment. Recently, Roy, the sole convict in the case, filed a plea in the Calcutta High Court, pleading his innocence. The court is set to hear the matter in September.