Kolkata rape-murder LIVE: CBI to conduct polygraph test on RG Kar ex-principal, 4 others
In a major relief for patients, hundreds of resident doctors in Delhi returned to work on Friday after ending their 11-day strike following an appeal by the Supreme Court
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), that is investigating the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is set to conduct a polygraph test on Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the institution and four other people.
Unsatisfactory answers
The CBI decided to take the test after failing to get satisfactory answers from Ghosh even though he has been questioned for 88 hours in the span of week.
The agency will also conduct a polygraph test on two first-year PGT doctors whose fingerprints were found in the seminar hall where the trainee medic was allegedly raped and murdered. They were reportedly on duty along with the victim on the night of the crime and had dinner together before she retired to the seminar hall.
The CBI will also conduct polygraph test on a house staff member who was captured on CCTV while going from the first floor emergency to the third floor as well as an intern who reportedly interacted with the victim before she went the seminar hall.
Even though findings of polygraph test are not admissible in court, they help investigators get a lead on the case.
Delhi doctors withdraw protest
In a major relief for patients, hundreds of resident doctors in Delhi returned to work on Friday after ending their 11-day strike over the rape and murder following an appeal by the Supreme Court.
Healthcare professionals across the country ceased work after the body of the medic, a junior doctor, was found in a seminar room of the West Bengal government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
Non-emergency services, including OPD and diagnostics, were shut as medics, including resident doctors, of major central and Delhi government-run hospitals struck work on August 12 evening, causing hardships for patients and delay in treatment. Residest doctors, including those of Centre-run AIIMS, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Delhi government-run LNJP, Maulana azad Medical College, GTB Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital, resumed duties after two national bodies announced the end of the strike on Thursday evening. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) took the decision after the Supreme Court issued directions about the safety of healthcare personnel.
While it appealed to medics across the country to rejoin duty and assured that no coercive action will be taken against them, the top court also said judges and doctors cannot go on a strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.
Bengal doctors to continue stir
Except West Bengal, resident doctors' associations of all other states have called off their strike. In Bengal, the epicentre of the protests, healthcare services remained affected at state-run hospitals as agitating junior doctors have said they would continue their ceasework.
"We have decided to continue our ceasework because justice is yet to be delivered. The Supreme Court has avoided the justice part. We must not forget that getting justice for our sister is our prime goal," one of the protesting doctors told PTI.
Extremely disturbing: SC
During Thursday’s hearing of the case, the Supreme Court termed "extremely disturbing" the Kolkata Police's delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor.
“Justice and medicine cannot be stopped,” the court said while hearing the suo-motu case.
The top court also directed the Centre and the states to take urgent steps to institutionalise the safety of medics across the country.
Court’s directions on safety of medics
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud issued a slew of directions on the safety of doctors, norms for protests, rights of protesters as well as the West Bengal government.
It said the National Task Force (NTF) formed by the apex court will take note of the suggestions of all the stakeholders while formulating a national protocol for the safety of healthcare professionals, including the associations representing resident doctors.
"We direct the secretary of the Union Ministry of Health to engage with the chief secretaries of the states and directors general of police to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals," the bench said, while ordering that the exercise be completed in a week.
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Live Updates
- 22 Aug 2024 12:22 PM GMT
Why was SIT formed year after RG Kar hospital financial allegations: HC asks Bengal govt
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday asked the West Bengal government why a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed a year after allegations of financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital first emerged.
Former deputy superintendent of the state-run medical college hospital Akhtar Ali moved the court seeking an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against its ex-principal Sandip Ghosh over alleged financial irregularities during his tenure there.
Hearing the petition, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, who is presiding over the case, asked why the SIT was constituted a year after the allegations came to light. The matter will be heard again on Friday, the court said.
Ali claimed that he had reported Ghosh's alleged financial irregularities to state authorities in 2023.
Ghosh was removed from his position as principal following the rape-murder of a woman postgraduate trainee doctor at the hospital on August 9.
Subsequently, on August 20, the West Bengal government set up the SIT to probe the financial irregularities at the medical college and hospital.
- 22 Aug 2024 12:03 PM GMT
CMO refused to accept confidential letter sent by Governor: Raj Bhavan
Hours after meeting the parents of the woman doctor who was raped and murdered, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose sent a confidential letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but it was not received by the CMO, an official in the Raj Bhavan claimed on Thursday.
There was, however, no confirmation regarding this development from the state government.
The governor wrote the letter after he met the parents of the deceased doctor at their residence in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday, he said.
"A confidential letter was sent by a messenger to the CMO last night. But the CMO refused to receive it," the Raj Bhavan official told PTI.
The official, however, declined to divulge the content of the letter.
Later on Thursday afternoon, the same letter was emailed to the CMO, he added.
When contacted, a senior official at the CMO declined to comment on the matter.
Bose had paid a visit to the residence of the woman doctor, who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month and spoke to her parents on Wednesday.
After talking to her parents, the governor had said, "I will be writing to the chief minister in a closed envelope. They told me certain things… confidential." Bose had spoken to the doctor's parents over the phone twice on Tuesday and assured them of justice.
- 22 Aug 2024 11:55 AM GMT
Medics of RML Hospital withdraw strike
Resident doctors at RML Hospital announced on Thursday that they were withdrawing their 11-day strike, called to protest against the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata, following an appeal from the Supreme Court.
The resident doctors' association of RML Hospital said in a statement that "given the Supreme Court's intervention and the progress made in addressing their demands", they would resume their duties from 8 am on Friday.
The strike is being suspended in response to the Supreme Court taking suo motu cognisance of the case and the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it said.
- 22 Aug 2024 11:15 AM GMT
#WATCH | West Bengal: BJP workers stage a protest against the incident of rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/SE8F0EFHqO
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2024 - 22 Aug 2024 11:12 AM GMT
IMA to file plea to intervene in SC's suo motu case on rape-murder of Kolkata medic
The IMA on Thursday decided it will file an interlocutory application to intervene in the Supreme Court's suo motu case on the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor in a state-run hospital in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquarters is also preparing the documents to appear before the task force formed by the court to formulate a protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals.
"IMA will be filing an IA (interlocutory application) before the Honourable Supreme Court in the suo moto intervention case. IMA HQ is preparing the necessary documents to appear before the special task force," an IMA communication to its officials, including those at its state and local branches, said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of the case and constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
