Date: August 22, 2024
New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India has expressed severe concern over the Kolkata Police’s handling of the investigation into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Describing the delay in registering the case as “extremely disturbing,” the Court questioned the sequence of legal procedures followed by the police.
During the hearing, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud highlighted a troubling discrepancy: the postmortem of the deceased was conducted on August 9 between 6:10 pm and 7:10 pm, yet the information about the unnatural death was reportedly sent to the Tala police station only at 11:30 pm on the same day. “How was it that the post-mortem was conducted at 6:10 pm and yet the unnatural death information is sent to the police at 11:30 pm? This is extremely disturbing,” remarked the bench, which also included Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The Court has directed the Kolkata Police officer who initially recorded the case to appear at the next hearing and clarify the timeline of the case registration. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), revealed that the FIR was registered at 11:45 pm, after the victim had already been cremated. “State police initially told the victim’s parents it was a suicide, then changed the story to murder. The victim’s friend suspected a cover-up and insisted on videography,” Mehta informed the Court.
The Supreme Court also addressed the ongoing protests by doctors. The Court urged protesting doctors to resume their duties, assuring them that no punitive measures would be taken against them upon their return. The bench emphasized the necessity of medical professionals in maintaining public health services, stating, “How will public health infrastructure run if the doctors do not work?” It further encouraged the doctors to bring any further issues to the Court’s attention once they return to work.
In response to the nationwide protests following the brutal assault and murder of the junior doctor, who was found with severe injuries inside the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 13. The CBI has since commenced its probe on August 14.
