Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Students to continue protest even as SC takes suo motu action

As the Supreme Court took suo motu action in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital on Tuesday, protesting students vowed to continue their movement demanding justice for the victim. 

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, directed the CBI to submit the status report of the ongoing investigation on Thursday. Consequently, protesters at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said they would wait till then before deciding their next course of action. 

The apex court also asked for the deployment of CISF on the hospital premises to ensure safety and security of students, doctors and other staff, in view of the vandalism that happened inside the premises on the night of August 14. 

Chief Justice Chandrachud’s bench noted that the West Bengal government failed to maintain the law-and-order situation at the RG Kar hospital on that night. 

“In the aftermath of the brutal incident and the demonstrations which followed, the state government was expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order,” the court order said.

“It was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was under way. We are unable to comprehend how the State was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalization of the premises of the hospital.”

The court noted that a large mob had assembled on the night of August 14, when women across West Bengal and India were protesting under the banner of ‘Reclaim the Night’, and carried “wanton destruction and vandalism” of Emergency wards and other departments of RG Kar hospital.

The three-judge bench, which included Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra, also observed that the police should not try to stop any peaceful protest or movement. 

The court then urged protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and elsewhere to resume their operations, observing that a large section of marginalised population was being denied medical services due to their strike. 

“Our demands remain unmet. We haven’t had any positive results coming from the CBI investigation. So our strike will continue till the agency files its report before the honourable Supreme Court on August 22,” said protesting student leader Dr. Aniket Mahato of the anaesthesia department in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

He, however, added, “Our emergency ward and most departments are functioning as usual. Senior doctors are working there. They are providing services to their best capacity.”

The Supreme Court also asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on its investigation into the vandalism incident of August 14 night during the next hearing on August 22. 

To ensure safety and security of medical professionals across India, the Supreme Court also formed a nine-member National Task Force (NTF) with Cabinet Secretary and Home Secretary, among others, as the ex-officio members. 

The NTF has been directed to “formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals” and submit an interim report within two weeks and a final report within two months.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government formed a special investigation team (SIT) on Monday to probe the alleged financial irregularities in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from January 2021 till now. 

Interestingly, Dr Sandip Ghosh has been the principal of the institution during the said time. His role as the head of the administration is in question since the trainee doctor was found dead inside the hospital premises. The CBI has been questioning Dr Ghosh for five straight days now. 

The central agency also questioned an ASI rank officer of Kolkata Police, named Anup Dutta. The main suspect in the case, Sanjoy Ray, had allegedly called Dutta on August 9 in the aftermath of the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. Ray, a civic volunteer, used to illegally reside in Kolkata Police’s Fourth Battalion Barrack where Dutta also stays. 

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the police not to arrest TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray for allegedly spreading misinformation through a social media post about the police’s action in the aftermath of the RG Kar incident. Ray had approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest. 

The TMC MP has removed the post in question from his X handle.