‘Shall I grant bail to rape accused Sanjay Roy?’: Kolkata court gets angry over CBI lawyer’s absence. TMC reacts

A Sealdah court on Friday expressed displeasure after the Central Bureau of Investigation’s investigating officer and lawyer failed to appear at the hearing of Sanjay Roy, the prime suspect in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

However, a CBI lawyer reportedly reached the court 50 minutes late, and opposed Sanjay Roy’s bail plea, stating it would hamper its investigation, The Times of India reported.

The court emphasised the gravity of the situation and the need for more prompt action from the CBI, The Indian Express reported.

India Today reported that additional chief judicial magistrate Pamela Gupta was so miffed over the investigating officer’s absence and the prosecutor’s delay that at one point she asked, “Should I grant bail to Sanjay Roy?”

“This shows a very lethargic approach by the CBI. It’s highly unfortunate,” the magistrate added.

What happened in the Kolkata court?

The Times of India reported that the CBI lawyer delayed the Sealdah court hearing for 50 minutes regarding the bail application of Sanjay Roy.

“If the lawyer isn’t present, he (Sanjay Roy) should be granted bail,” Pamela Gupta said when informed by a CBI officer at 4:10pm that the public prosecutor was running late, ToI reported.

As the delay continued, and the lawyer Dipak Poria had yet to arrive, the magistrate instructed the CBI officer to call him. “It’s 4:20 now. This is very unfortunate,” she said.

The officer, identifying herself as an assistant investigating officer, left the courtroom to make the call and returned 15 minutes later, stating that Dipak Poria was on his way, the report added.

When Poria finally arrived at 5:00pm, defense lawyer Kavita Sarkar questioned why CBI wasn’t represented by the counsel who attended the previous hearing on August 23. Dipak Poria replied saying that he was the probe agency’s full-time lawyer and briefly opposed Sanjay Roy’s bail without giving specific reasons.

During the hearing, the court rejected the bail plea of Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, who was arrested on August 10.

The court also remanded the accused to 14 days of judicial custody. Sanjay Roy will remain in judicial custody till September 20 under the supervision of the CBI.

Kavita Sarkar had argued for Sanjay Roy’s bail, pointing out that he had no criminal record and the CBI had yet to present any evidence against him, India Today reported.

Trinamool Congress slams CBI

Reacting to the development, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale alleged that CBI wanted to get Sanjay Roy on bail.

“CBI wants to get the rape & murder accused monster RELEASED on bail. An active effort is being made by CBI, BJP, & the Modi Govt to run a political agenda and BURY this case. How can CBI allow this monster to get bail? What is the sinister agenda that is being played out? Why was CBI ABSENT in court today?” Saket Gokhale wrote on social media X.

Describing it a “shocking development”, the TMC MP said, “The CBI must answer under whose pressure this heinous crime is being buried.”

Kolkata rape-murder case: Supreme Court to resume hearing on September 9

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday, September 9, the case it has initiated on its own regarding the rape and murder of the junior doctor.

As per the cause list for September 9 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is slated to hear the matter.

The hearing assumes significance in the wake of a recent application filed by the Centre alleging “unpardonable” non-cooperation by the West Bengal government in extending logistical support to the CISF, tasked with providing security at the hospital.

While hearing the matter on August 22, the top court tore into the Kolkata police over the delay in registering the unnatural death of the doctor.

The trainee doctor’s body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.

On August 13, the Calcutta high court transferred the probe from Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.