Trinamool leader sues R.G. Kar victim’s father over allegations of ‘settlement’ with CBI

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh filed a defamation case against the father of the R.G. Kar rape and murder victim on Wednesday following allegations the latter made that the Trinamool leader had “made a settlement” with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bury the probe.

“Today we filed a defamation lawsuit at the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Kolkata against the victim’s father. At the recent Nabanna Abhijaan, he had alleged that Mr. Ghosh made a settlement with the Central Bureau of Investigation at their office at CGO complex. These comments are baseless and defamatory,” Mr. Ghosh’s legal counsel, Ayon Chakraborty, told The Hindu.

The CBI was probing the case in which a woman doctor on duty was raped and murdered on August 9, 2024, at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. In January this year, a civic police volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was pronounced guilty of the charges and sentenced to life imprisonment by a city court.

On August 12, Mr. Ghosh sent a legal notice to the father of the victim in response to a comment the latter had made to the media.

“We had sent a legal notice to the victim’s father last week and asked him to withdraw these statements through the press or social media. However, we received no reaction or response from him on the matter. So we went forward with the defamation case,” Mr. Chakraborty said.

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Mr. Ghosh said that while he ws empathetic to the grieving parents, they do not have the right to make such statements. “Someone is exploiting their sentiments and shooting off over the family’s shoulders. I do not know who that is, but I must protest against it. I have two pending cases with the CBI, how can I meet them to settle a different case,” he asked.

The father of the victim could not be reached for a response.