Top Court to hear Kolkata doctor rape, murder case today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear a suo motu case on Tuesday concerning the rape and murder of a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The hearing comes amid ongoing protests by doctors in West Bengal, who remain on strike despite the court’s previous directive to resume work by 5 pm on September 10 to avoid punitive action.

As per the Apex Court website, the suo-motu case is listed as the first item on Tuesday before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Amid the unrelenting protest by junior doctors and a massive public outrage, the CJI-led bench had on September 9 voiced concern over the absence of the “challan”, a key document forwarding the body of the junior doctor, who was raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, for postmortem, from the records presented before it and sought a report from the West Bengal government.

It had also directed the protesting resident doctors to resume work to avoid adverse action by the state government.

The court’s direction followed an assurance by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who was representing the state government, that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors if they resumed work.

The top court’s proceedings on Tuesday will be keenly watched in view of non-compliance of its direction.