Today, On 5th August, In the R G Kar rape-murder case, the Supreme Court directed the national task force to “file your stand on safety reports on protection of medical professionals,” highlighting concerns over increasing violence against doctors and hospital staff nationwide.
Kolkata: The Supreme Court instructed the national task force (NTF), established to safeguard medical professionals, to submit its response regarding reports from states and other stakeholders focused on preventing gender-based violence and creating safety protocols in hospitals.
The Supreme Court had initiated this suo-motu case on August 20 of the previous year, following the tragic rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh allowed the NTF eight weeks to provide its reply.
Previously, the court had ordered hospitals, including AIIMS in New Delhi, to regularize the unauthorized absences of doctors who participated in protests following the incident.
It acknowledged submissions from a doctors’ organization indicating that while some hospitals complied with the August 22, 2024 order to regularize absences, others, including AIIMS Delhi, opted to classify the time as leave of absence.
In its August 22 ruling, the bench made a heartfelt appeal to protesting doctors nationwide, urging them to return to work. It emphasized that “justice and medicine” couldn’t be halted and declared that no punitive measures would be taken against doctors upon their return.
The brutal incident caused widespread outrage and led to extended protests in West Bengal.
In January 2025, a trial court convicted Roy and sentenced him to life imprisonment till death for the heinous crime that garnered national shock.
The incident took place on August 9, 2024, when a doctor on duty was sexually assaulted and killed inside the hospital.
Roy was apprehended by Kolkata Police the following day and was subsequently transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the High Court moved the case to the central agency on August 13.
The High Court has accepted a separate appeal from the CBI, which seeks a harsher sentence for Roy, arguing that the severity of the crime justifies the death penalty.
However, the court rejected a similar appeal from the West Bengal government contesting the trial court’s sentence.
This case has cause significant outrage and protests from both the medical community and the public, leading to demands for enhanced security in healthcare facilities and more expedited justice for crimes against women.
The parents of the victim of a rape and murder case at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital last year have approached the Calcutta High Court for permission for their legal counsel to visit the crime scene.
Earlier, Their lawyer, sought an urgent hearing before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who granted permission for the matter to be officially filed.
The victim’s parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI’s investigation and later approached the Calcutta High Court to request further inquiry.
The victim’s father claimed there were “procedural lapses in the course” of the investigation.
Earlier, The parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital approached the Calcutta High Court requesting a new investigation into the crime.
Case Title: X AND ANR VS UNION OF INDIA AND ORS., WPA/30365/2024