Supreme Court Raises Nationwide Safety Concerns for Doctors Following Kolkata Rape and Murder Case

BY EOK NEWS DESK

Delhi, Aug 20: In a suo motu hearing on the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court raised significant concerns about the safety of doctors across the country. Chief Justice of India (CJI) expressed alarm over the incident, stating, “The Kolkata incident raises safety issues for doctors across the country. We are concerned about doctors.”

The Court criticized the publication of the victim’s name, photo, and video clips, emphasizing, “We are deeply concerned about the fact that the name, photo and video clip of the Kolkata rape victim was published all over. The law prohibits publishing victims’ names. Is this the way we provide dignity to the young doctor who has lost her life?”

The Supreme Court also questioned the Principal of the college for initially labeling the case as a suicide and noted that the parents were not allowed to view the body. It raised concerns over the delay in FIR registration, suggesting, “It appears the crime was detected in the early hours of the morning and no FIR was filed.”

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal refuted claims of delay in FIR, stating, “An unnatural death case was registered,” and confirmed that an inquest shows it was a case of murder. The Court also criticized the handling of the situation, asking, “What are they doing? Allowing vandalists to enter the hospital?”

The CJI announced plans for a national task force, saying, “We want CBI to file a status report and apprise on the status of the investigation. We are setting up a national task force and want them to give recommendations on the modalities to be followed across the country for the safety measures for senior and junior doctors.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged not to trivialize the issue, stating, “We are dealing with a young doctor’s rape by a sexual pervert who also had an animal-like instinct,” and called for a change in the leadership of the West Bengal police.

The Court emphasized that the brutality of the assault has “shocked the conscience” and criticized the circulation of the victim’s personal details. CJI remarked, “As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape case for things to change on the ground,” noting that existing laws do not adequately address institutional safety for medical workers.