Bid to harass us: RG Kar victim's father on Trinamool leader's defamation suit

The father of the RG Kar rape-murder victim dismissed a defamation case filed against him by senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh as "harassment" and vowed to continue his fight for justice.

“This case is an attempt to confuse us, to distract us from the fight we are fighting for justice. It is an attempt to harass us, nothing more,” the father told reporters at his home in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday. “The fight will continue till I am alive.”

Ghosh, a Trinamool spokesperson, has accused the victim’s father of falsely alleging that the CBI took bribes from the ruling party leader to derail the probe into his daughter’s killing. The complaint stems from remarks allegedly made during the ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ protest march earlier this month, on the first anniversary of the crime.

Last week, the veteran leader sent a legal notice to the RG Kar victim's father for alleging that he "settled" the rape and murder case with the CBI.

“I can’t allow him to say whatever he feels like saying under the provocation of others. He should either apologise for what he said, else come to court and prove his statement,” Ghosh said earlier.

The victim’s father said he learned of the defamation suit from the media and would respond after receiving court documents. “We have already talked to our lawyer. If needed, we will face the court,” he said.

The victim’s mother also lashed out at Ghosh, calling him a “shameless and brazen” person.

“They are trying to scare us, trying to confuse us, but that cannot be done in any way,” she said. “If he (Kunal Ghosh) has a mind, he will be humane. But I don’t think he has a mind. He is a jailed convict. He cannot be identified as a human being.”

The parents said they had written to President Droupadi Murmu on three occasions this month, alleging threats and seeking protection.

“We sent a mail to the honourable president. Our state chief secretary has been instructed to connect with us in case of any help. But seven days are over, nobody from the state government has contacted us,” the father said.

“We have lost everything, we are only alive for the sake of getting our daughter’s justice,” the mother added. “We may not get our daughter back, but we want to expose how deep the roots of corruption have gone.”

The 31-year-old trainee doctor’s body was found in a semi-naked state at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024. In January this year, a trial court sentenced Sanjoy Roy, the lone convict, to life imprisonment until death.

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