vineet-goyal-apologises-for-naming-rg-kar-rape-victim

Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal on Thursday tendered an unconditional apology to the Calcutta High Court for revealing the identity of the rape and murder victim in the RG Kar Hospital case.

 

The apology, submitted in writing through his lawyers, expressed deep regret for what he described as an “unintentional mistake.”

The letter was addressed to the division bench of Justice Raja Shekhar Mantha and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta, who were hearing the contempt of court proceedings initiated against Goyal. After receiving the letter, the bench chose to dispose of the contempt case, though it issued a strong note of caution.

While accepting the apology, the court stated that such lapses were “not advisable”, especially coming from a senior official of the police force.

 

The bench also recommended that the State Director General of Police organise special training and workshops for officers to ensure sensitivity and awareness in handling cases involving sexual assault victims.

Lawyers representing Goyal, Sandipan Gangopadhyay and Menka Guruswamy said there was no malicious intent behind the disclosure. “This was an unexpected and emotional moment. It was not said to demean or harm anyone. He has expressed his regret,” they told the court.

However, the petitioner’s counsel, Jay Anant Dehadrai, took a firmer stand. He argued that an apology was not sufficient, referencing multiple Supreme Court judgments which strictly prohibit revealing the identity of sexual assault victims.

 

“This is not a matter where a simple apology should suffice,” Dehadrai stated, maintaining his objection.

Interestingly, Goyal’s lawyers also questioned the legal standing of the petitioner who filed the contempt case and alleged that the petitioner himself had hinted at the identity of the victim in his court filings — a point that the court noted but did not comment on in detail.

After a detailed hearing, the court concluded that while Goyal may have named the victim out of emotional excitement and without any deliberate intention, it remained a serious lapse.

 

The bench closed the proceedings with a final observation to the police force: “This should be a lesson. Proper training and awareness are essential to avoid such mistakes in future.”

Goyal, in his letter, stated: “I had no bad intention. I express my deep regret.” The court accepted his written apology but made it clear that greater caution is expected from officers in such sensitive matters.