Watch | Kolkata doctor’s rape, murder case: SC asks striking doctors to resume work by September 10, CBI to file fresh status report

Kolkata doctor rape, murder case: SC asks striking doctors to resume work by September 10, CBI to file fresh status report

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 9, 2024) directed doctors in West Bengal, who are abstaining from their duties as part of protests over the rape-murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, to return to work immediately. They have been asked to resume their duties by 5 pm on September 10, failing which the state government has been authorised to take disciplinary action against them.

However, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra assured that no punitive action, including transfers, will be imposed on doctors who return to work within the stipulated time frame.

The Court in the same breath also said that the State government should take immediate steps to address the concerns of doctors and ensure their safety and security. This includes installation of CCTV cameras, setting up of toilets for male and female doctors and continuous monitoring by district collectors and police inspectors.

The directive for protesting doctors to resume work followed the submission of senior advocate Kapil Sibal that 23 persons have died due to inadequate medical treatment. Appearing on behalf of the West Bengal government, he also informed the court that 6 lakh patients have been denied medical treatment so far due to the ongoing doctors’ strike.

During the proceedings, the court considered the status report filed by the CBI, which is currently investigating the incident. In addition, the court also considered the status report filed by the West Bengal government regarding the mob violence and vandalism that broke out on the hospital premises in the early hours of August 15.

Also Read | Kolkata Rape, Murder Case: Supreme Court Expresses Concern Over Lack of Autopsy Document

The Chief Justice noted from these reports that there was a delay of “at least 14 hours” in registering the FIR. He also pointed out that the CCTV footage clearly shows accused Sanjoy Roy entering and leaving the seminar hall where the victim’s body was found. Accordingly, he sought to know whether the West Bengal government had handed over the entire CCTV footage to the CBI. In response, Attorney General Tushar Mehta alleged that only 27 minutes of CCTV footage had been handed over to the CBI and not the entire recording. Moreover, the court noted that a crucial document popularly called a challan, which is usually required during the autopsy process, was missing from the documents filed by the West Bengal government.

The Chief Justice stressed the importance of this document and noted that the document details the clothes and items seized and bagged during the investigation. Therefore, the West Bengal government was asked to submit this document to the court on the next date of hearing, which is scheduled for September 17.

The CBI was also directed to file a fresh status report that day. While concluding the proceedings, the court also ordered that all the photographs of the victim be immediately removed from social media, stressing the need to ensure the privacy and dignity of the victim and the family.