The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed former Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal to file an affidavit in opposition to allegations made in a petition seeking filing of FIR against him for allegedly revealing the name of the rape-murder victim doctor of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam also directed him to state through the affidavit whether this court can independently proceed with the matter and consider the prayer sought for in the petition.

The bench directed Goyal to file an affidavit in opposition to the allegations made in the petition by November 7.

The division bench, also comprising Justice Bivas Pattanayak, directed the West Bengal government and the Centre to file their respective affidavits on the issue.

The petitioner was directed to file an affidavit in reply to their affidavits within November 14, when the matter will be taken up for hearing again.

The bench said that since the Supreme Court is hearing the rape-murder of the R G Kar Hospital doctor, it would also like to ascertain whether it can hear this petition independently.

The top court is scheduled to hear the matter again on October 14.

A petition was moved before the high court on October 4 alleging that Goyal had revealed the name of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder victim in violation of settled guidelines.

Goyal, who was the commissioner of Kolkata Police when the gruesome incident took place in August, has since been posted as additional director general (ADG), Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal police.

The Supreme Court, as well as this high court, has passed directions against revealing the identity of the post-graduate trainee at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, whose body was found in the institution's seminar hall on August 9.

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