New Delhi, August 21 (IANS): The Supreme Court, which has taken suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month, will resume hearing the matter on Thursday.
In its first hearing held on Tuesday, a bench headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report detailing the status of its investigation within two days besides directing the Bengal government to file a status report in relation to the vandalisation of the hospital premises on the night of August 14.
The Bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was dealing with the suo moto case titled 'Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issues'.
Raising several tough questions on the conduct of the police machinery, the top court observed that it was unable to comprehend how the police was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalisation of the hospital premises by a mob.
During the hearing, the CJI Chandrachud-led Bench asked, “A mob assembles at the hospital and critical facilities are damaged.. What was the police doing? What are they (police) doing? Allowing vandals to enter the hospital?”
It said that the state government was “expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order” and “it was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was underway".
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, said that a mob of 7,000 people armed with lathis and other weapons cannot gather in middle of night without “the knowledge, if not consent, of the police force”, adding that the situation of vandalism was a complete failure of law and order in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court also ordered the formation of a National Task Force to suggest measures for safety of medical professionals across the country, observing that safety of doctors deserves “highest national concern”.
“This is not just a matter of protecting the doctors. Their safety and well-being as health providers is a matter of national interest,” it said.
The apex court also urged doctors and medical professionals across the country, who are abstaining from work in protest against the “horrific incident”, to resume work at the earliest.
“Since this court is seized of the matter pertaining to safety and well-being of all medical professionals at their workplaces, and the issue involving high national priority, we will request all the doctors, who are abstaining from work, to resume work at the earliest,” it said, adding that the medical community can stand assured that their concerns are receiving the highest attention of the Supreme Court.
It also pulled up the West Bengal government over publication of the name, photographs and video clips of the victim junior doctor.
"It is extremely concerning. We are first to recognise the right to free speech, but there are well settled parameters,” said the Bench, directing removal of the identity of the deceased from all social media platforms and electronic media.
In its order, the top court also said that the identity of victims of rape should be protected and the media, including the press, electronic and social media, should not reveal their identity as doing so is in violation of the SC directives in the Nipun Saxena vs Union of India case.