Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a suo motu plea related to the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata on August 9, in the RG Kar Medical Hospital. The plea has been listed as the first matter, and will likely be heard at 10:30am on August 20.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing on Tuesday.
The suo motu case in the matter is titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue.” The plea seeks to widen the scope of judicial scrutiny in the case, and asumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The plea also keeps in mind the nationwide outrage regarding the horrific murder of the postgraduate student at the medical college, and the doctor’s protests and their demands of safety at hospitals.
Doctors’ bodies the Federation of Association of Medical Consultants of India (FAMCI) and the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), and lawyer Vishal Tiwari have also moved the top court by filing interim applications in the suo motu case.
In its plea, the FAMCI raised concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers inside hospitals and the risky environment of medical facilities. Doctor’s bodies demanded for a central law to address these concerns, and urged the Indian government to address the gaps in state-wise laws for doctor’s safety.
The plea also sought framing of guidelines for enhancing security measures at medical colleges and hospitals across the country to prevent such incidents in the future.
On August 9, the body of a 31-year-old postgraduate doctor was found in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, with severe injuries. The autopsy report said that the doctor had been raped. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.
The horrific nature of the crime sparked a nationwide outrage and a strike by doctors across India, demanding more safety inside hospitals.
On August 13, the Calcutta high court transferred the case investigation to the CBI, showing discontent on the handling of the case by the Kolkata Police.
(With inputs from PTI)
