(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday (August 22) submitted its status report to the Supreme Court regarding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In its report, the CBI alleged that the crime scene had been tampered with, and that the West Bengal Police initially misled the victim's parents by claiming it was a suicide before later suggesting it was a murder.
The Supreme Court, led by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, began hearing the suo motu case concerning the tragic incident. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the CBI took over the investigation five days after the crime, only to find the scene altered and crucial evidence potentially compromised.
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Kapil Sibal, representing another party in the case, contested Mehta's claims, saying that everything at the crime scene was videographed, leaving no room for tampering. However, Mehta highlighted that the FIR was filed at 11:45 am after the victim's body had already been cremated. He further noted that the videography of the scene was done only after senior doctors and colleagues of the victim insisted, implying that they too had suspicions.
The Supreme Court, in response to the "horrific" incident, had previously criticized the state government for the delay in registering the FIR and for allowing the hospital to be vandalized by miscreants. The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in the hospital's seminar hall have ignited nationwide outrage and protests.
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1. The Court questioned the significant delay in reporting the unnatural death to the police. "How was it that the post-mortem was conducted at 6:10 PM on August 9, yet the unnatural death information was only sent to Tala police station at 11:30 PM on the same day? This is extremely disturbing," the bench stated.
2. Justice JB Pardiwala expressed astonishment at the handling of the case, remarking, "The entire procedure followed by your state police is something I have not encountered in 30 years."
3. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of resuming normal operations in public health. "Once they (protesting doctors) get back to duty, we will ensure that no adverse action is taken against them. How will public health infrastructure function if the doctors do not work? If issues arise thereafter, come to us," the Court advised.
4. The Court directed the Kolkata Police officer who initially recorded the incident to appear in the next hearing and provide details about the time of the entry.
5. The Supreme Court expressed concern for patients in public hospitals and assured that the National Task Force will engage with all stakeholders to address the crisis.
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On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which officially commenced its probe on August 14. The Supreme Court also took steps to enhance the safety of healthcare professionals by forming a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to establish protocols for their protection.
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