In a stern rebuke to the Bengal government.
The Supreme Court expressed deep concern over the handling of the case involving the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court questioned the state’s delay in handing over the victim’s body to her grieving parents and criticized the lapses in the police investigation.
The court emphasized that state power should not be used to suppress peaceful protests, whether by doctors or civil society members, in response to the incident.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, leading the three-judge bench, pointed out the state government’s failure to address the vandalism that occurred at the hospital. The bench included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice underscored the importance of providing safe working conditions for women, especially those in vulnerable positions such as young doctors.
The court highlighted the lack of basic facilities and the need for a national consensus on creating a standard protocol for safe working environments in hospitals. The bench also aimed at the management of RG Kar Medical College, particularly the former principal, Dr. Sandip Ghosh.
The court questioned the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and the late release of the victim’s body to her family. It also expressed dismay at the quick reappointment of Dr. Ghosh to another prominent medical institution in Kolkata, mere hours after his resignation.
The CJI made it clear that the severity of the crime, involving the rape and murder of a young doctor by someone with “animal-like instincts,” should not be trivialized. The court stressed that the case should not become a political issue, and noted the distress caused to the victim’s parents, who waited for three hours to retrieve their daughter’s body.
The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which recently took over the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court, to submit a status report by August 22. Additionally, the Bengal government has been ordered to report on the vandalism at the hospital.
To address broader concerns, the court established a national task force composed of doctors from various specialties to develop guidelines aimed at ensuring workplace safety for medical professionals.
The court also appealed to the doctors who had been protesting the incident to return to work, assuring them that their safety and security are of paramount concern.
