HC rejects urgent hearing plea against junior docs’ cease work

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court (HC) on Friday rejected a plea for an urgent hearing against the ongoing cease-work by junior doctors in the state.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed on Thursday at the Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak. The petitioner, a director of a non-profit organisation, sought a court directive for the state government to take necessary action to end the cease work.

On Friday, an appeal for a fast-track hearing was made before the Division Bench. However, the bench rejected the plea, advising the petitioner to approach any active vacation bench as the Calcutta HC will be on vacation due to the upcoming festive season starting with Durga Puja next week.

Counsel for the petitioner argued that the junior doctors were defying a Supreme Court directive to resume work. The petitioner’s counsel also argued that since the common people were suffering because of the continuing protests, there was an urgent need for a fast-track hearing. However, as the division bench rejected the plea for the fast-track hearing, the petitioner will have to approach a vacation bench.

After a 42-day cease-work in protest of the RG Kar incident, junior doctors had partially resumed their duties at government hospitals. However, following an assault on staffers by the relatives of a patient at Sagar Dutta Hospital in North 24 Parganas district on September 28, the junior doctors resumed their cease-work from October 1. They are demanding that the state government address various issues, including the need for enhanced safety and

security in hospitals.