Mon Nov 25 09:40:47 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court Orders SIT Probe into Alleged Police Torture in Kolkata Rape-Murder Case
**New Delhi, November 25, 2024** – The Supreme Court of India has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations of police torture against two women arrested in connection with protests following the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The Court modified a Calcutta High Court order that had mandated a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan deemed that an SIT, comprising senior West Bengal IPS officers, was sufficient for the investigation. The Court rejected arguments that the case should be moved outside West Bengal.
The SIT, whose members were nominated by the West Bengal government, will report its progress weekly to the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, who will oversee the proceedings. This decision follows an appeal by the West Bengal government challenging the High Court’s earlier order for a CBI probe. The government argued that the state police were capable of handling the investigation.
The High Court’s initial order for a CBI probe stemmed from a petition by two women, Rebeka Khatun Molla and Rama Das, who alleged physical torture while in police custody after their arrest on September 7th. A medical report indicated hematoma on one of the petitioner’s legs, prompting the High Court to cite discrepancies warranting an independent investigation.
Meanwhile, the trial in the R.G. Kar rape-murder case itself has begun in a Kolkata court.
First Piper 