Kolkata rape case: Health ministry tells Supreme Court: ’23 people died while doctors are on strike’

As the Supreme Court hears a case involving the gruesome rape and murder of a senior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, the West Bengal government told the high court that as many as 23 people have died since the doctors went on strike.

Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, submitted a status report filed by the state Health Department before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

Sibal told the court: “A status report has been filed. The state health department has filed a report. Twenty-three people have died while doctors are on strike.”

The Supreme Court is currently examining the status report filed by the state and the CBI. The hearing is underway.

On August 22, the Supreme Court had slammed the Kolkata police for delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor, who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Hospital. The court had termed it “extremely disturbing” and questioned the sequence of events and the timing of the procedural formalities.

The Supreme Court had earlier constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Terming the incident “appalling”, the Supreme Court slammed the state government for delaying filing the FIR and allowing thousands of people to vandalise the state facility.

The alleged rape and murder of the resident doctor in a seminar room of the state hospital has sparked nationwide protests.

The doctor’s body was found with serious injuries in the seminar hall of the pulmonology department of the hospital on August 9. The next day, a volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata police in connection with the case.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered that the investigation be transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which began its probe on August 14.