LIVE | Kolkata horror: SC forms task force for doctors’ safety; medics to continue stir
Top court forms task force to make recommendations pertaining to safety, working conditions, and wellbeing of medical professionals; urges protesting doctors to resume work
Amid spiralling nation-wide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 20) ordered the formation of a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals.
Treat protesters with sensitivity: SC tells govt
Terming the incident as "horrific", the apex court excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of miscreants to vandalise the state-run facility.
It also asked the West Bengal government to not unleash the "power of the State" on peaceful protesters and to deal with them with "great sensitivity in this moment of national catharsis".
The 10-member task force headed by Vice Admiral Arti Sarin has been asked to submit its interim report within three weeks.
CBI asked to submit status report
The Supreme Court, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the progress made in its investigation into the killing, also asked the state government to submit a report on the action it has taken against the vandals.
The court also expressed its deep concern over the name of the victim, her photographs and video clips showing her lifeless body having been splashed all over the media.
Taking a serious note of mob violence in the hospital and the allegation that the Kolkata police fled the scene, the top court ordered deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the hospital to enable doctors to resume work.
SC raps state govt, college
"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.
"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 vandalisation of the premises of the hospital," the top court said.
The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud criticised the ex-principal of RG Kar Medical College Dr Sandip Ghosh for trying to pass off the case as that of suicide and not letting the parents of the deceased to see her body for several hours.
"What was the principal doing? Why was this inaction to first pass this as suicide and not registering an FIR. Body is handed to the parents for cremation late in the night. On the next day, the doctors are on protest and a mob assembles at the hospital.
Incident raises systemic issues on safety of docs: SC
"The hospital is invaded and critical facilities are damaged. What was the police doing? A serious offence has taken place and the crime scene is within the hospital. The police should have protected the crime scene. How can the police allow vandals to enter the hospital. After the principal resigned, he is sent to another hospital. When his conduct was under scrutiny, how was he appointed to another college immediately," the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed.
The bench said what has taken place in Kolkata is not just a horrific murder but an incident which has raised systemic issues about the safety of doctors.
"We are deeply concerned that there is a virtual absence of safe work conditions across the country, particularly in public hospitals. Most of the young doctors have to put in 36 hours of work.
"We find that there are no duty rooms available, or separate restrooms for men and women doctors and nursing staff. We must evolve a national consensus that there must be a national standard protocol so that safe work conditions are provided," the bench said.
If women cannot go to their place of work safely, then we are denying them equality, the apex court said.
State’s defence
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, refuted the observations and submitted that Kolkata police took all necessary action. He said he will place on record all the facts.
"Photos and videos were circulated before the police reached the crime scene. We didn't allow anything to happen and cordoned off the area. Inquest was done and a case of unnatural death was registered immediately. We caught the culprit who was a civic worker. This is not adversarial litigation," Sibal told the court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a mob of 7,000 people could not have assembled at the hospital without the knowledge and consent of the police.
"Let West Bengal government not be in denial mode, there is complete failure of law and order in the state. A girl has lost her life due to a sexual pervert and an animal," Mehta said.
Sibal said over 50 FIRs have been registered following the vandalism incident and 37 people have already been arrested.
The top court asked the West Bengal government to not take coercive action against people holding peaceful protests and speaking up on social media.
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- 20 Aug 2024 12:54 PM GMT
Major doctors' associations to continue strike until Health Ministry addresses CPA issue
Major doctors' associations on Tuesday announced that they would continue their strike until the Health Ministry takes concrete action on the issue of Clinical Practice Allowance (CPA).
On the ninth day of the strike, both the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) released statements following Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing in the Kolkata rape and murder case.
"Following today's Supreme Court hearing in the Kolkata rape and murder case, the FAIMA Doctors Association held a pan-India meeting with all associated Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs)," the FAIMA said.
The association said that it has decided to continue the strike after thorough discussions with the stakeholders until the Health Ministry takes concrete action on the issue of Clinical Practice Allowance (CPA), the statement said.
The strike will persist, with OPD and elective operating theaters remaining closed.
The association emphasized that it is "now or never" and announced plans to pursue justice through legal channels in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the FORDA said in a statement that in response to the Supreme Court's intervention and the pressing need for enhanced safety for healthcare workers, FORDA India conducted a nationwide virtual meeting with over 35 DA representatives.
The key discussions included the Supreme Court’s recognition of the challenges faced by the resident doctors, administrative measures for improving workplace security and concerns about patient care.
"We will consult with resident doctors for their feedback before a follow-up meeting, ensuring that this movement, impacting every doctor in India, continues to be guided by their collective voices," the FORDA said.
- 20 Aug 2024 12:49 PM GMT
Doctors hail SC order, stop short of calling off strike
Within hours of calling it off, central government-run RML Hospital on Tuesday said it will continue with its strike in solidarity with other resident doctors' bodies, which have been agitating for more than a week demanding a central law on doctors' safety in the wake of the rape and murder of a Kolkata medic.
Having called it off earlier in the day, the resident doctors of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital issued a revised statement saying the strike will continue.
"There was some miscommunication, and we apologise for the same. We want to clarify that we stand with our colleagues and other RDAs. We will make our decision only after there is a consensus among all RDAs, and the common decision of all RDAs will be our decision. We stand UNITED," the hospital's RDA said in the statement.
On Tuesday, bodies representing resident doctors from across the country welcomed the Supreme Court's intervention in the Kolkata murder case and decided to conduct a pan-India meeting for a decision on the ongoing strike.
The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association, or FORDA, and the Federation of All India Medical Association, or FAIMA, hailed the SC order and said they would conduct a meeting soon on the strike.
- 20 Aug 2024 12:46 PM GMT
Hopeful that SC will take a revolutionary decision: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
#WATCH | Murshidabad, West Bengal: On Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "It is a very positive step that the Supreme Court has taking suo motu cognizance of the… pic.twitter.com/sGuZwU10N5
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024 - 20 Aug 2024 12:29 PM GMT
Suvendu Adhikari lauds SC directive for task force, says action must be taken ‘TMC goons’
"I welcome this step by the Supreme Court. The court has issued an interim order so that such an incident doesn't repeat. We also expect that the incident that took place on August 9 and also on August 14, by the TMC goons – to vandalise the peaceful protest, action must be taken against it also, in the next hearing. It's all happening by a shared role of the state government, and Kolkata police,” says BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
- 20 Aug 2024 12:27 PM GMT
#WATCH | Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says, "Doctors across the country, including those in Delhi, are on strike. They are demanding that the Central Government for a law for the security of doctors. I believe that the manner in which doctors are often misbehaved with,… pic.twitter.com/ZKcYwxl9NR
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024 - 20 Aug 2024 12:12 PM GMT
Police resorts to lathi charge at ABVP activists during protest rally
The police on Tuesday resorted to a "mild lathi-charge" and arrested over 20 ABVP activists after a scuffle between them during a march to the West Bengal health department headquarters to protest against the alleged rape and murder of an RG Kar Hospital medic.
The protestors demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also doubles up as the state's health and home minister.
The police had put up barricades at several roads leading to Swasthya Bhavan, which the ABVP activists tried to breach, a senior officer said.
"We have only one demand - the resignation of the chief minister. What happened at the (RG Kar) hospital is unthinkable," a woman ABVP activist said.
The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors and arrested over 20 ABVP activists including its national secretary Rahul Rana.
"Among those arrested, there were four women," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.
- 20 Aug 2024 12:06 PM GMT
SC orders removal of name, photos, videos of deceased
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of the name, photos and videos of the trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, from all social media platforms.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said disclosure of the identity of a victim of sexual assault is a violation of its order passed in the Nipun Saxena case.
"The pictures and video clips of the body of the deceased has been circulating on social media...we direct that name, photographs and video clippings of the deceased be immediately removed from all social media platforms," the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Kinnori Ghosh and others against the disclosure of the victim medic's identity on social media.
