The Supreme Court heard the Kolkata rape and murder case on Tuesday and brought everyone from the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal to the police and hospital administration directly in the dock. The bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra did live streaming of the hearing and strongly reprimanded the delay, negligence and coverup in the case. SC has asked the central investigating agency CBI to file the status report by Thursday. The Supreme Court had said that a National Task Force would be formed to consider the safety of doctors at the workplace. The task force will include doctors, who will inform us about the methods being adopted across the country to ensure safety.
The body of a 31-year-old trainee female doctor was recovered on the night of August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The incident took place in the seminar hall. There were injury marks on the body and blood was flowing. Investigation revealed that the doctor was raped and then murdered. The police arrested the accused Sanjay Roy and sent him to jail. However, the possibility that many people are involved in this incident has not been ruled out. Kolkata High Court transferred the investigation of the case from the police to the CBI. The investigating agency is continuously interrogating the former principal of the hospital.
What questions did the Supreme Court ask the government?
CJI asked, why was the principal joined in another college? The court said that we are also worried about the identity of the victim being revealed. Showing the photo of the victim and her body after post-mortem is worrying. Very concerned about the photographs and name of the victim being circulated on social media. CJI said that the identity of the victim was exposed everywhere. Whereas this should not have happened. CJI asked West Bengal government whether the principal had declared the murder a suicide? Was the information given to the victim’s parents late? Were they not allowed to meet?
What question to the hospital?
A three-member bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud reprimanded the West Bengal government and the hospital administration. The CJI said that the victim’s parents were not present when the murder incident took place. It was the responsibility of the hospital management to lodge the FIR. CJI asked why the FIR was filed late? What was the hospital administration doing? CJI asked- What was the principal doing at that time? The body of the victim was also handed over to the parents late. SC asked, who filed the FIR first and when. It was informed that the first FIR in the case was registered at 11.45 PM that night. CJI said that FIR was registered after 3 hours 30 minutes of handing over the body to the parents?
what question to the police
The court slammed the West Bengal government and the police for the delay in filing the FIR (First Information Report). The court said, initially FIR was not registered in the case. What were the police doing? A serious crime has been committed. Were the miscreants allowed to enter the hospital? CJI said why did the police not protect the crime scene? Why were thousands of people allowed inside? The first job of the police is to secure the crime scene.
CJI said that CBI should file the status report in this case by Thursday. The investigation is currently in a critical stage. Therefore, direct report should be given in the court.
What message to the striking doctors?
CJI said that we want to form a national task force in which all the doctors will participate. CJI told the doctors to trust us. The doctor who is on strike. Understand that they have the health care system of the entire country. We urge doctors to return to work. We appeal to the doctors. We are here to ensure their safety. We will not leave it for the High Court. This is a matter of great national interest.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, this should not be considered a light matter. We are dealing with the rape of a young doctor by a sexually perverted man, but there was also an animalistic nature to it. I don’t want to make it a political issue. The parents had to wait for 3 hours to see their daughter’s body. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared on behalf of West Bengal.
National Task Force has also been formed. Report has been sought in three weeks. This task force will inform the court about the methods to be adopted to ensure the safety of people associated with the medical profession.
Who is in the task force?
– Surgeon Vice Admiral Aarti Sarin, Director General Medical Services (Navy).
– Dr. D Nageswara Reddy.
– Dr. M Srinivas, AIIMS Delhi Director
– Dr. Pratima Murthy, NIMHANS Bangalore
– Dr. Govardhan Dutt Puri, AIIMS Jodhpur
– Dr. Soumitra Rawat, Member Gangaram Hospital, Delhi
– Professor Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor
– Dr. Pallavi Sapele, JJ Group Hospital
– Dr. Padma Srivastava, Chairperson Neurology, Paras Hospital Gurugram