On August 20, the Supreme Court sharply criticized the West Bengal government over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In response, the Court has established a 10-member national taskforce to address safety concerns for medical professionals across India. This taskforce will be led by notable figures, including Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarin and Doctor Nageshwar Reddy, Managing Director of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.
The Court emphasized the urgent need for a national protocol to ensure the safety of medical workers. It highlighted that failing to provide safe working conditions undermines the principle of equality, especially as more women enter the workforce. The Chief Justice pointed out that existing laws do not adequately address institutional safety standards for doctors and medical staff.
The Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the ongoing investigation by August 22. Additionally, the West Bengal government has been instructed to provide an update on the probe into the mob attack at RG Kar hospital, also by August 22. The Bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, questioned the delay in filing an FIR and raised concerns about the appointment of principal Sandip Ghosh to another college while his conduct was under scrutiny. The Court remarked that the principal initially attempted to dismiss the case as a suicide.
Ghosh is currently being interrogated by the CBI, and the Kolkata Police have filed a corruption case against him. The Court also reprimanded the Kolkata Police for their handling of the vandalism that occurred at the hospital on the night of August 14-15. It questioned how a large mob was able to enter the hospital and criticized the West Bengal government for failing to maintain law and order and protect the crime scene.
The deceased doctor’s body, found with severe injuries in the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department on August 9, led to the arrest of a civic volunteer by the Kolkata Police. The investigation was transferred to the CBI on August 13 by the Calcutta High Court.
