Calcutta HC Denies Anticipatory Bail to Retired IPS Officer Over Controversial Remarks Linking RGK Incident to Sex Workers of Sonagachi

The Calcutta High Court on Friday denied anticipatory bail to retired IPS officer Pankaj Datta, who has been charged under Sections 79 (insulting and provoking a person with the intent to make them commit an offense) and 352 (disturbing public peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A single bench led by Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj denied Datta’s application for anticipatory bail and requested a response from the respondents involved in the case.

The allegations stem from the former IPS officer's remarks made during a speech at Presidency University, where he addressed a gathering of students in the aftermath of the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old PGT doctor at Kar Medical College during the wee hours of August 9.

In his speech, he allegedly said, "Had this happened at Sonagachi (the red-light area), we could have said this can happen. This kind of incident cannot occur at a place like R.G. Kar—from this we should bear in mind."

The complainant argued that Datta's comparison of the doctor’s case to the rape and murder of a sex worker suggested that such violence would be expected in a red-light area, thereby insulting the dignity of individuals working there. The state’s Advocate General highlighted that following Datta's comments, protests erupted among those working in Sonagachi, raising concerns about potential disturbances to public peace.​