Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar rape and murder victim, has once again questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) handling of the case, alleging that the agency has failed to apprehend all those involved even after more than two years.
Debnath, who represents Panihati in West Bengal, said the CBI should relinquish the investigation if it was unable to discharge its responsibilities properly. She added that she would approach Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari if necessary to raise her concerns and seek justice for her daughter.
"We never asked for a CBI investigation. The court considered it necessary and ordered the CBI probe. If the CBI cannot do its job, it can decide what it wants to do. If it cannot handle the responsibility, it should give it up. We will then take up the matter with the chief minister," she said.
Her remarks come amid renewed dissatisfaction over the progress of the investigation, particularly after former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and his associate Suman Hazra secured bail in the corruption case linked to the institution.
Debnath alleged that despite the change of government in West Bengal, the situation surrounding corruption in the state's medical institutions had not improved. She said individuals allegedly involved in corrupt practices continued to hold their positions even after the political change.
Ratna Debnath alleges corruption across medical colleges
The Panihati MLA further claimed that corruption was not confined to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but had also taken place in several other medical colleges across West Bengal and continued to persist.
She said she possessed several important documents relating to alleged corruption in different medical colleges and wanted the allegations investigated. Debnath indicated that she would place these documents and complaints before Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Her remarks have triggered political discussion, with questions being raised about the BJP's position on allegations made by one of its own legislators.
BJP spokesperson Sayantan Basu said Debnath was entitled to make such claims and that the CBI also needed to examine the issues raised by her.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson and MLA Kunal Ghosh, meanwhile, criticised Debnath's remarks. He pointed out that the state police had arrested the accused on the day after the incident and that the CBI was now handling the investigation. Ghosh also raised questions about some of Debnath's recent activities.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar questions pace of investigation
NCP MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has also questioned the progress of the investigation into the RG Kar case, raising allegations about issues that she claimed the deceased doctor had flagged before her death.
The Barasat MP claimed that the young doctor had spoken about certain matters relating to medicines and had also raised concerns about fake medicines. She further alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had told her to remain silent because she did not fully understand the issues.
Ghosh Dastidar questioned why those responsible had not been punished despite the passage of so much time and why the investigation had failed to proceed in the right direction.
She said she had repeatedly brought the issues to the attention of the party's general secretary and the then health minister. However, she alleged that no effective action was taken despite her efforts.
Debnath renews allegations against former Trinamool government
Apart from questioning the CBI investigation, Debnath also renewed her allegations against the then Trinamool Congress government over its handling of the rape and murder case.
She alleged that there had been attempts to shield those responsible for the crime and destroy evidence. She further claimed that the DNA evidence had been deliberately contaminated.
Debnath maintained that these allegations were already known and that an investigation into the matter was under way.
The CBI took over the investigation following an order by the Calcutta High Court in August 2024. The court subsequently ordered a special investigation team to examine allegations of a larger conspiracy and attempts to suppress evidence surrounding the incident.
In September 2026, the CBI submitted its 13th status report before the Sealdah court. The agency informed the court that investigators had examined documents, CCTV footage, medical and forensic reports, as well as issues raised by the victim's family. However, some aspects of the investigation remained pending.
The CBI also submitted a sealed report to the Calcutta High Court in September on its investigation into the alleged conspiracy. The court scheduled the next hearing in the matter for November 20.