Kolkata: Close on the heels of yet another nightlong protest by Kolkata residents – primarily women – against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the city’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court heard its suo motu case on the crime today.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard the matter.
It has been a month since the doctor’s body was discovered at the hospital – on August 9. Since then, layers of corruption has been reported, including by The Wire, pushing people across Bengal and the country into the streets in sustained protests.
The Supreme Court bench today subjected Bengal government counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, to rounds of questions on action taken in the case.
LiveLaw reports the CJI as having asked what steps have been taken by the Bengal government for adequate safety for doctors. To this, Sibal noted that the government has filed a status report.
Sibal also made the claim that “23 people have died with doctors not working.” Junior doctors are sitting in a protest, demanding justice for the victim in the case.
“It’s very clear that there is a delay of at least 14 hours in filing the FIR,” the CJI said.
The CJI has asked the CBI – which is investigating the case after a Calcutta high court directive – to submit a status report by next week.
The case will be heard again on September 17.
A day ago, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar resigned from the party and announced his decision to resign from the Upper House in protest against the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government’s handling of the case. Sircar told The Wire that the chief minister must take “corruption head on”.
“My [act] is just a warning to the only party that can save Bengal from the BJP, a timely, practically suicidal warning that please take corrective action or that party will come to power,” he said.
Sunday saw multiple protests in various parts of the city – in monthlong tradition – with groups of children, women, students, junior doctors and rickshaw-pullers chanting slogans for justice in the case. The latter are understood to be a group that falls under TMC-led unions which stipulate political participation to a large degree – making their protest all the more significant.
Reports said the victim’s parents joined one of the protests in which doctors and supporters walked from the Neel Ratan Sircar Medical College to Dharmatala, both in central Kolkata. Agitators released black balloons in the air.
With Durga Puja approaching, idol makers of Kolkata’s famed Kumortooli also led a rally at a time understood to be the busiest for them.