A Bench led by CJI Chandrachud ordered the CBI to file its status report by August 22; W.B. Govt urged to exercise restraint towards ‘peaceful protesters’
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) constituted a national task force to look into the modalities that need to be adhered to ensure the safety of medical professionals across the country.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata amid the ongoing nationwide doctors’ strike over it.
Notably, the Bench expressed serious reservations over the delay in registering an FIR related to the incident. “Parents were not in the hospital when the incident took place. The onus was on the hospital to register a case”, the Chief Justice asserted.
Taking exception to the mob violence that broke out in the Hospital in the early hours of Thursday and allegations that the Kolkata police fled the scene, the top court also ordered the deployment of CISF personnel to man the hospital premises.
The suo motu cognisance of the case, titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue”, assumes 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).
On Monday, the Central Division of the Kolkata Police arrested a second-year B.Com student for allegedly sharing social media posts containing threats to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s life and for revealing the identity of the victim. The police said the posts were “provocative” in nature and could lead to “social unrest and promote hatred” in the community. The student was produced in court on Monday (August 19, 2024).
