Kolkata rape-murder case full story in details: The nation cannot wait for another tragic tragedy to effect vital changes on the ground, the Supreme Court sharply rebuked during the hearing of the Kolkata rape-murder case on Tuesday. The court, presided over by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, voiced its extreme displeasure with the hospital administration and the West Bengal government for their oversights and delays in the probe.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud posed a number of pertinent questions, mostly pertaining to the hospital’s handling of the matter and the postponed submission of the first information report (FIR).
The bench questioned, underscoring procedural flaws that have provoked public outrage: “Why was the FIR registered three hours after the body was handed over for cremation?”
Kolkata rape-murder case full story in details: Under investigation is the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
On August 9, the rape and murder of a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital came to the attention of the Supreme Court on its own. Nationwide demonstrations have been sparked by the occurrence, and worries about women’s safety—particularly in healthcare and educational settings—have grown.
CJI Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, the three judges on the bench, were especially scathing of the college’s administration.
“What was the headmaster engaged in? Why wasn’t the FIR submitted right away? What were the authorities doing allowing vandals to enter the hospital premises, where the crime scene was located? CJI Chandrachud asked a query.
There is a lot of investigation around Sandip Ghosh, who left his position as principal of RG Kar Medical College two days after the incident. He was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for around 53 hours over the course of four days about his conduct following the doctor’s passing.
The West Bengal government, represented by Kapil Sibal, contended that the hospital acted promptly to address the court’s concerns. This included filing a case of unnatural death and establishing a board that included a judicial magistrate. But CJI Chandrachud emphasized that the hospital had to submit the FIR, especially since the victim’s parents weren’t there.
The medical field is becoming more open to violence. Grounded patriarchal prejudices make women physicians more vulnerable. The country can’t wait for another rape before things change in the real world, as more and more women enter the workforce, stated Chief Justice Chandrachud.
Concerning the timeliness of the FIR, Justice Pardiwala questioned the identity of the initial informant and the date of filing. In response, Sibal explained that the victim’s father and the hospital’s vice principal had both submitted the FIR at 11:45 p.m.
CJI Chandrachud also examined the timetable, highlighting the delay in filing the FIR, and the time the victim’s body was turned over for cremation at 8:30 p.m. The doctor had been murdered, according to the autopsy, which was performed between 1:45 and 4:00 pm, although the FIR was not filed until much later.
The Chief Justice questioned, “What was the hospital board and principal doing during this time?”
“It seems the crime was discovered in the morning, but the principal attempted to claim it was a suicide, and the parents were not permitted to view the body,” he continued. There was no filing of a FIR.
In response, Sibal said, “That is not right. The inquest reveals that the case is one of murder, and the FIR was filed right away.
The principal was temporarily appointed as the principal of another college, the court further observed, even though he had resigned. Since then, pending further directions, the West Bengal Health Department has been instructed by the Calcutta High Court to refrain from appointing Ghosh to any other medical college.
National Task Force on Physician Safety
A national task force (NTF) including eminent medical professionals has also been established by the Supreme Court to develop policies for safeguarding physician safety. The NTF has two months to produce the final report and three weeks to submit the interim report.
Surgeon Vice Admiral R Sarin, Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, Dr. M Srinivas, Dr. Pratima Murty, Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Prof. Anita Saxena, Prof. Pallavi Sapre, and Dr. Padma Srivastava are among the notable individuals on the task force.
The next hearing before the Supreme Court is set for August 22.
