Supreme Court Delves into Doctor's Tragic Rape and Murder Case

The Supreme Court has begun hearing a suo motu case about the rape and murder of a postgraduate medic at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The court expressed grave concerns over procedural delays and disturbances in the investigation, while nationwide protests demand justice.

The Supreme Court on Monday began its examination of a suo motu case involving the rape and murder of a postgraduate medical student at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is scrutinizing the matter. On September 17, the top court expressed its disturbed reaction to the findings in a status report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without disclosing details to protect the ongoing investigation.

Earlier, on September 9, the court had pointed out the absence of the 'challan', a critical document forwarding the victim's body for postmortem, and requested a report from the West Bengal government. On August 22, the Supreme Court criticized the Kolkata Police for the delay in recording the unnatural death, demanding an account of the procedural delays.

In response to the heinous crime, the court has set up a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to develop protocols ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. The junior doctor's horrific case, discovered on August 9, has ignited nationwide protests, with a civic volunteer arrested the next day and the investigation transferred from Kolkata Police to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.

(With inputs from agencies.)