Lawyer Vrinda Grover Withdraws From Representing RG Rape-Murder Victim's Family Amid Trial Proceedings

No lawyer appeared to represent the parents of the RG Kar rape-murder victim in the trial court in Kolkata on Thursday. The family, however, chose not to comment on the matter.

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover had announced on Wednesday that she would no longer represent the family of the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, reported the Indian Express.

Photo Credit: PTI

Grover issued a statement confirming that she had withdrawn from the case in the Supreme Court, the Calcutta High Court, and the Sealdah trial court. She cited "certain intervening factors and circumstances" for her decision.

The statement further explained that Grover and her team had been providing pro bono legal representation for the victim's family since September 2024. The legal team, including advocates Soutik Banerjee and Arjun Gooptu, had represented the family in multiple courts, including daily appearances in the trial at the Sealdah sessions court from November 4.

"During this period, the evidence of 43 prosecution witnesses has been recorded, and bail for other accused persons has consistently and successfully been opposed. The remaining prosecution evidence is expected to be completed in the next 2-3 days.

"As lawyers and officers of the court, Advocate Vrinda Grover and her legal associates provide legal services strictly in accordance with law, evidence, and professional ethics. At this stage, due to certain intervening factors and circumstances, Advocate Vrinda Grover's chambers are constrained to withdraw from the case proceedings and will no longer represent the victim's family," the statement read.

The statement also mentioned that the trial court had been informed, and the lawyers had been discharged from the case.

The tragic incident had led to widespread protests in Kolkata, with people of all ages taking to the streets in response to the rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor.

On August 10, 2024, a 33-year-old civic volunteer working with the Kolkata Police was arrested on suspicion of the crime. Three days later, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), expressing a lack of confidence in the Kolkata Police's inquiry.

The junior doctors in West Bengal held a 42-day strike demanding a thorough investigation and better security at hospitals. The trial in the rape and murder case began in a Kolkata court last month, three months after the woman's body was discovered. The proceedings were held in-camera at the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das, with the prime accused, Sanjay Roy, present during the trial. The incident sparked nationwide and international outrage, igniting discussions about the safety of women and doctors in India.