Kolkata doctor's case: HC seeks CBI report on offensive social media posts

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday, 5 September directed the CBI to file a report by 18 September on detestable posts being made on social media regarding the rape-murder victim of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The court noted that nasty comments, which are far from being acceptable to any member of the society, have been made with the photograph of the victim as found in the copies of the offending posts provided by the petitioner.

The body of the on-duty trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on 9 August, triggering nationwide outrage. The CBI is investigating the case from the second week of August on an order of the high court.

The petitioner prayed in the PIL that the CBI be directed to investigate the cyber offences in connection with the "unfortunate and brutal incident."

The court asked the Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, representing the central agency, whether it could find a way to block these types of posts.

The division bench, presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, directed the joint director, CBI, Kolkata, to look into the grievance expressed by the petitioner with regard to the issue of such abominable social media posts.

The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the CBI joint director or any other competent officer to file a report in this regard by September 18, when the PIL will come up for hearing again along with other petitions relating to the August 9 rape-murder of the doctor.

After the order was dictated, Chakrabarti submitted before the court that the CBI does not have any separate wing to investigate such cyber crimes.

Maintaining that the state police has a special unit to monitor such matters, he prayed that the West Bengal government's cyber crime branch be also directed to file a separate report.

The court said that it would consider the prayer on the next date of hearing.