Kolkata Rape and Murder Case: In a major development, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the Kolkata rape and murder case that has rocked the entire country, and will hold the hearing in the matter on Tuesday (August 20). The hearing will be held by a bench headed by Chief Justice Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra.
The top court’s action comes at a time when the demand for justice for the junior doctor who was brutally raped and murdered is growing day by day across the country. A 32-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The accused was arrested the next day. The high-profile case is now being investigated by the CBI after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to hand over the probe to the central agency.
Doctors across the country have expressed their anguish and anger over the incident and have taken to the streets to demand justice for the victim. Mass peaceful protests have erupted on the streets in various parts of the country. OPD services were suspended across the country in protest, however, emergency services remained operational.
IMA writes to PM Modi on the issue
On Saturday, August 17, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention in the case of rape and murder of a female doctor on leave at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The IMA also proposed some solutions and demands to the Prime Minister and said that his taking note of the situation “will give confidence not only to women doctors but also to all women at the workplace.” The letter to Prime Minister Modi was written by IMA National President Dr RV Asokan and Honorary General Secretary Dr Anilkumar J Nayak.
In the letter, the IMA also mentioned the vandalism at the hospital on the night of August 14 where the crime occurred on August 9 and expressed concern for the safety of doctors within the hospitals and campuses.
“On August 15, 2024, a large mob vandalized the hospital and destroyed several sections of it, including the area where the victim was found. Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession. Authorities must ensure the safety of doctors within hospitals and on campuses,” the letter states.
The IMA said the Kolkata incident has highlighted two dimensions of hospital violence: “crime on a barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women and vandalism that breaks out due to the lack of an organised safety protocol.”
“Doctors across the country have today withdrawn non-essential services and are only providing emergency and urgent care services,” he said.
Kolkata doctor rape and murder case
It may be noted that a post-graduate doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the hospital on August 9. Later, the half-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar room of the Kolkata government hospital. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day.
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