Kolkata rape: SC pulls up WB for not installing CCTVs, HC allows doc rally

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over "tardy" progress by West Bengal government in installation of CCTVs and construction of toilets and separate resting rooms at medical facilities, and directed the state government to complete ongoing work by October 15.

The apex court was hearing a suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate medic at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The top court also reiterated its earlier order that no intermediary is allowed to publish the name and photo of the victim in the case.

As the hearing commenced, advocate Vrinda Grover told a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that the parents of the deceased victim are disconcerted by repeated clips in social media disclosing her name and photos.

 

The top court said it had already passed an order on this issue and it was for the law enforcement agencies to implement the order. It clarified its earlier order and said it applies to all intermediaries.

The bench noted that substantial leads have come up in the CBI investigation and it has given statements on both aspects -- alleged rape and murder and the financial irregularities.

During the hearing, the apex court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, who are the people under probe still employed in R G Kar Hospital against whom financial irregularities are alleged and asked it to share the information with the state government for appropriate action.

Expressing dissatisfaction over progress by West Bengal govt in installation of CCTVs, construction of toilets and separate resting rooms, the apex court said it was "tardy".

On the issue of doctors' protest, the West Bengal government told the bench that resident doctors are not performing inpatient department and outpatient department work.

The submission was opposed by senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for resident doctors, who said they are performing all essential and emergency services.

The top court directed Mehta to submit a report on progress of National Task Force and posted the hearing in the rape-murder case to October 14.

The court on September 17 had said it was disturbed by the findings given in a status report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the rape-murder case but refused to divulge the details, saying any disclosure may jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

On September 9, the apex court had voiced concern over the absence of the "challan", a key document forwarding the body of the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at the Kolkata hospital for postmortem, from the records presented before it and sought a report from the West Bengal government.

On August 22, the court had tore into the Kolkata Police over the delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor, who was raped and killed at the hospital, calling it "extremely disturbing", and questioned the sequence of events and the timing of its procedural formalities.

The top court had earlier constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals.

Terming the incident as "horrific", the apex court had excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of people to vandalise the state-run facility.

The rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests.

The medic's body with severe injury marks was found on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.
 

The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed a rally to be held in the metropolis by the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) on October 1 to protest the rape-murder of a trainee medic at RG Kar hospital.

Disposing of a petition by the JPD, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed that a peaceful rally be held between 5 pm and 8 pm from College Square in north Kolkata to Rabindra Sadan in the south.

Though the police authorities had asked for curtailment of the number of participants and length of the route, the court did not order any such restriction.

It directed the authorities, under the supervision of joint commissioner of police (headquarters) of the Kolkata Police, to make necessary arrangements for security with adequate personnel so as to ensure that the rally can move peacefully.

Justice Bharadwaj also asked the organisers of the rally to provide sufficient number of volunteers to control their supporters, and ensure that it is held peacefully.

The medics' platform, an umbrella organisation of the Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal, had made a representation before the Kolkata police commissioner for permission to take out the protest rally from College Square to Rabindra Sadan from 5 pm to 8 pm with around 50,000 participants.