LIVE LIVE | Kolkata horror: SC forms task force for doctors’ safety; medics to continue stir
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Students stage a protest march demanding justice for the woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Nadia. Photo: PTI

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.

Follow live updates here


Live Updates

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:35 AM IST

    CJI: What were police doing?

    CJI: "What was the principal doing? FIR was not filed; body was handed late to parents; what were the police doing? A serious offence has taken place, the crime scene is in the hospital...What are they doing? Allowing vandals to enter the hospital?"
    CJI: "After principal resigned from there, he is assigned as principal in some other college?"

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:28 AM IST

    No FIR to show clear case of murder: CJI

    CJI: "It appears that crime was detected in the early hours of the morning, the principal tries to pass it off as suicide, the parents are not allowed to see the body."
    Kapil Sibal (for the state of WB): "That is not correct."
    CJI: "No FIR was filed."
    Sibal: "Inquest was done and FIR registered immediately...Inquest shows it's a case of murder."
    CJI: "No FIR was there which shows a clear case of murder..."
    Sibal: "We caught the accused, he is a civic worker."

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:25 AM IST

    Deeply concerned that name, photo all over media: CJI

    CJI says, "First, we are deeply concerned about the fact that the name of the victim has been all over the media, the photographs and videos are all over the media, this is extremely concerning."

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:24 AM IST

    Denying women equality: CJI

    CJI says, "If women are not able to go to work and conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality."

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:23 AM IST

    National protocol needed: CJI

    CJI says, "We know they are all interns, resident doctors, and most importantly, woman doctors....Most of the young doctors are putting in 36 hours...We must evolve a national protocol to ensure that safe conditions of work are provided."

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:22 AM IST

    Systemic issue of safety of doctors: CJI

    CJI Chandrachud says: "This [RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident] is now not just a matter relating to a particular rape issue in hospital, but it deals with systemic issue of safety of doctors across India."

  • 20 Aug 2024 11:16 AM IST

    Sandip Ghosh faces corruption case

    The Kolkata Police have registered a corruption case against Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College.

    The state police are probing financial irregularities at the state-run hospital, which has been under scrutiny since a complaint was lodged in June.

    The state government has formed a SIT to probe the allegations that have plagued the medical college and hospital since 2021, when Dr Ghosh took charge.

    The SIT is reportedly headed by IG Pranab Kumar and includes top officials such as DIG Syed Waquar Raza, DIG Soma Mitra Das of the CID, and Deputy Commissioner Indira Mukherjee of the Kolkata Police.

  • 20 Aug 2024 9:12 AM IST

    CBI's 2 top women officers to handle RG Kar case

    The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case has reportedly been handed over to two of the CBI’s top women officers, who have handled similar cases earlier.

    Sampat Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand, has been reportedly given the overall charge of the case and will be working in a supervisory capacity, heading a team of 25 officers. She has in the past handled the Hathras rape-murder case and the Unnao rape case.

    Officer Seema Pahuja, who was also part of the Hathras investigation team, will reportedly work in a supervisory capacity. She will carry out the ground-level investigation. This Additional Superintendent of Police has received the Gold Medal twice for excellent investigation between 2007 and 2018.

  • 20 Aug 2024 9:05 AM IST

    Some of Sandip Ghosh's version 'not matching' with that of others

    CBI officers questioned the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, for the fourth consecutive day on Monday in connection with its probe into the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the health facility.

    Ghosh, who reached the CBI’s city office at CGO Complex in the morning, was grilled till late in the evening, an official said. Ghosh, who resigned from the post on August 11, has been grilled for several hours in the past three days by officers of the central probe agency.

    Some of his version does not match with that of the others who are being interrogated in the case, the official said.

    The call records and his chat details are also being investigated.

    Among other queries, he was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted thereafter and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours before getting to see her body, the official said.

    The former principal was also questioned on who had ordered renovation of rooms adjacent to the seminar hall, after the postgraduate trainee’s body was found there on August 9, he said.

  • 20 Aug 2024 9:01 AM IST

    CBI may conduct polygraph test on Sanjay Roy

    The CBI is likely to conduct a polygraph test on Sanjoy Roy, the civic volunteer arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a young trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Sunday, the agency conducted a psychoanalysis test on the accused, where he was questioned by a team of experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL). The CBI is yet to schedule a date for the polygraph test, an official told news agency PTI. A local court on Monday granted CBI permission to conduct the polygraph test. As per norms, the accused has to be brought before a magistrate, who will ask the person if he agrees to a polygraph test, the official added.

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