Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reportedly deferred till November the hearing in its suo motu proceedings related to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, a case that led to nationwide protests.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma adjourned the matter as it was engaged in a part-heard case. The bench has been monitoring the issue since taking cognisance of the crime last year, even after the conviction of the accused.
Senior advocate Karuna Nandy, appearing for the Association of Junior and Senior Doctors, told the court that several doctors who had participated in peaceful protests were being summoned by the police for questioning. She urged the bench to fix an early date for hearing.
On January 20 this year, Sealdah trial court sentenced civic volunteer Sanjay Roy to “life imprisonment till death” for the brutal rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor. The young doctor’s body was found inside a seminar room of the state-run medical college on August 9, 2024.
The incident sparked massive demonstrations across the state by doctors and citizens demanding justice and better security in hospitals. The case, initially handled by Kolkata Police, was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13 last year after the Calcutta High Court criticised the city police’s probe. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance on August 19, 2024, and has since been overseeing the investigation and related issues.
A National Task Force (NTF) set up by the apex court to suggest measures for protecting healthcare workers submitted its report in November last year. The NTF concluded that a separate central law was unnecessary as state laws and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, already covered offences against medical professionals.