New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the RG Kar rape and murder case after the widespread protests, strikes and a mounting sense of fear and insecurity expressed by the medical professionals.
A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, will hear the matter on Tuesday. The case has already been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court. The High Court, during a hearing last week, overruled the state government’s deadline for the police to complete the investigation, emphasising the need for an independent and impartial probe in the murder of a young trainee doctor in Kolkata.
The incident, which occurred on August 9, has sparked huge protests by medical professionals demanding robust safety measures and a comprehensive approach to ensuring their well-being in their workplaces. The victim, a second-year postgraduate student, was found brutally murdered in the hospital’s seminar hall after a tiring 36-hour shift, having sought refuge in the empty room for a short rest.
The prime suspect, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police stationed at the hospital, was arrested based on CCTV footage that showed him entering the building where the victim’s body was found. A Bluetooth headset discovered near the victim’s body was seen on Roy’s neck in the CCTV footage, linking him to the crime.
The Supreme Court’s intervention comes in response to mounting pressure and allegations of mishandling by state authorities with medics demanding a thorough and transparent investigation.
