New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS): The Centre has filed a plea before the Supreme Court seeking direction to the West Bengal government to extend full cooperation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deputed at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where a junior doctor was allegedly raped and murdered last month.

The Centre also prayed the apex court to initiate contempt proceedings against the erring officials of the West Bengal government for “wilful non-compliance” with the order passed by the Supreme Court in suo moto proceedings.

In a hearing held on August 20, the SC was assured by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second high law officer of the Union government, that the personnel from any Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will be deputed in sufficient numbers at the R G Kar Medical College.

Before the top court, the state government expressed its no objection to security within the precincts of the hospital, including the hostels where the resident doctors were staying to ensure their safety. In its order, the Supreme Court asked the doctors to resume their duty at the earliest with the provision of central security at the hospital.

During the hearing, it was apprised that the majority of the resident doctors, both male and female, had vacated the hospital hostel, following the vandalism at the emergency department of the hospital by outsider anti-social elements after midnight of August 14. On Monday, the top court declined to interfere with the Calcutta High Court order directing the Kolkata Police to release Sayan Lahiri, one of the convenors of the Nabanna Abhijan (March to Secretariat) call given on August 27 to condemn the R.G. Kar medical horror.

The SC dismissed the West Bengal government’s plea questioning the legality of the high court order, requiring the state police to not take any coercive action against Lahiri, not just in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan, but also in any other criminal case registered against him.