- Officer leading RG Kar rape-murder probe awarded President's Medal.
- V Chandrasekhar supervised investigation leading to accused's conviction.
- Victim's family questioned CBI's transparency and progress updates.
- 31 CBI officers to receive President's Police Medal on Republic Day.
Even as questions continue to surround the investigation into the rape and murder of a medical student at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, the CBI officer who supervised the probe has been selected for the President’s Police Medal this year. V Chandrasekhar, Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who headed the team probing the high-profile RG Kar case, is among 31 CBI officers chosen for the prestigious honour. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards on January 26, Republic Day. The announcement was made by the Centre through a notification issued on Sunday.
Officer Who Led RG Kar Probe Honoured
V Chandrasekhar, a 2000-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, supervised the investigation as Joint Director of the CBI. He visited the crime scene multiple times during the course of the probe. Under his supervision, the investigation led to the conviction of the main accused, Sanjay Rai, within a few months of the filing of the chargesheet. The RG Kar case had sparked widespread outrage and protests, with initial questions raised over the role of the Kolkata Police, eventually leading to the case being handed over to the CBI.
Victim’s Family Questioned CBI Probe
However, even after the CBI took over, the victim’s family raised serious concerns about the investigation. The parents alleged that they were not kept informed about the progress of the probe, were not consulted, and did not receive responses even when they reached out to investigators. They also questioned the identification of Sanjay Rai as the sole accused, stating that the investigation, in their view, was not fully transparent. Officials have said that the investigation into the RG Kar case is still not completely over.
31 CBI Officers to Receive President’s Award
Apart from V Chandrasekhar, the list of awardees includes Amit Srivastava, Superintendent of Police; Mukesh Sharma, Additional SP; Pramodkumar Jati, Sub-Inspector; Chamanlal, Assistant Sub-Inspector; Ramu Golla, Head Constable; C Venkat Subba Reddy, a 2007-batch IPS officer and Joint Director of the CBI; Manmohan Sharma, Deputy Legal Advisor; Baidyanath Samal, ASP; Kailash Sahu; Ruby Chowdhury, Deputy SP; Manish Kumar Upadhyay; Anmol Sachan; Nishu Kushwaha; Arijit Sinha; Sharad Suresh Bhabar; Tahir Abbas P; and Dharmendra Kumar, among others. Further details regarding the awards are awaited.
