SC hearing on Kolkata rape-murder: 23 people died due to doctors' strike, says Bengal govt
The SC bench, which is hearing RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case, was told by the Bengal government's lawyer that 23 people have died due to doctors' protest
Twenty-three people have died so far due to the doctors’ strike, which has been called to protest the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital in August.
This information was given by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Monday (September 9) before the Supreme Court bench, which is hearing the case pertaining to the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. The apex court had taken suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor.
Status report
Sibal, who is representing the West Bengal government in the case, further said he has filed the status report of the investigation.
Sibal told the bench, "A status report has been filed. The state health department has filed a report. Tweny-three people have died as doctors are on strike." The bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra reviewed the status report that was submitted in a sealed cover.
Delay in registering unnatural death
The court also sought clarification on the time of registering the report of the unnatural death.
Sibal responded to the SC stating that the death certificate was given at 1.47 pm, and the entry of the unnatural death was done at 2.55 pm at the police station.
On August 22, the SC sharply criticised the Kolkata Police for the delay in registering a case regarding the unnatural death of the woman doctor at RG Kar hospital. The court found the delay and procedural timeline "extremely disturbing" and questioned the sequence of events.
Lack of cooperation
Meanwhile, the Centre requested SC to address the West Bengal government's failure to provide logistical support to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is now responsible for security at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The lack of cooperation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government indicated a deeper issue, said the Union home ministry, and requested that state authorities be directed to provide full support to the CISF.
CBI arrest
After the junior doctor was found raped and murdered in the seminar hall of the hospital, where she had gone to rest during night duty on August 9, there have been widespread protests across the state demanding justice. The protests are not dying down in Kolkata.
The Calcutta High Court handed the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which after almost a month, made only one arrest. The CBI arrested the RG Kar principal Sanjay Roy.
A CBI official had admitted to PTI that the investigation has slowed down due to missing evidence from the crime scene. This has made it difficult to connect key elements of the case, added the official.
The central agency revealed that Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, had ordered the demolition of a restroom and a toilet near the seminar room on August 10, the day after the body was found.