SC Questions West bengal government Over Missing Document in kolkata R*pe-Murder Case

On Monday, the supreme court criticized the West bengal government regarding the post-mortem procedure for a kolkata trainee doctor, highlighting the absence of a formal request document (challan) for the examination.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud questioned, “Where is the challan for the body when it was handed over for post-mortem? How was the post-mortem conducted without a formal request?” This query arose during a suo motu case related to the doctor’s rape and murder at RG Kar Medical college and Hospital on august 9.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), informed the bench that the challan was missing from their records. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West bengal government, requested time to include the document in the case file.

The three-judge bench instructed the cbi to file an updated status report by september 17. The agency had already submitted a status report on the same day.

Key Observations by the supreme Court:

The cbi is expected to provide a fresh status report on the investigation by september 17.
The absence of the challan for the post-mortem procedure is of serious concern. The court questioned how the post-mortem could be conducted without this statutory request.
There has been a 14-hour delay in registering the First Information Report (FIR) by the West bengal Police.
The court ordered that photos of the doctor’s body be removed from social media.
Regarding the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployment, the court directed the state to ensure accommodation for all three CISF companies stationed in the area. The West bengal representative confirmed that housing arrangements had been made at several locations, including RMA Quarters, RG Kar premises, KMCP schools, and Indira Maitri Sadan.
The rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall at the state-run hospital has led to nationwide protests. Her body, showing severe injuries, was discovered in the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested by kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.

On august 13, the calcutta High court transferred the investigation from the kolkata Police to the cbi, which began its probe on august 14.

Earlier Hearings:

On august 22, the supreme court expressed grave concerns over the kolkata Police’s delay in registering the unnatural death, labeling the situation as “extremely disturbing.” The court questioned the procedural delays and established a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to develop protocols for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and healthcare professionals.

The court criticized the state government for the FIR delay and allowing vandalism at the state-run facility, calling the incident “horrific.”
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Kokila Chokkanathan

09/09/2024 02:18 PM