NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, Aug 18: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, and will hear the case on August 20.
According to the cause list of August 20 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a matter titled ‘In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue’.
The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests.
The body of the postgraduate trainee with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the next day.
The Calcutta High Court on August 13 ordered the transfer of the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police to the CBI.
The high court had ordered transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions, including the one moved by the victim’s parents praying for a court-monitored probe.
CBI grill ex-principal of hospital for third day
The investigating officers of the CBI are looking into the call details and chats of former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, in connection with their probe into the rape and murder of a woman doctor.Ghosh, who appeared before the CBI officers on the third consecutive day on Sunday, was asked to furnish details of the phone calls he made before, and after the incident at the hospital, an officer of the central probe agency said.
The sleuths are also mulling contacting the mobile phone service provider to get the details of Ghosh’s phone calls and data consumption, he added.
The former principal, who was grilled by the agency’s officers for over 13 hours from Saturday till past midnight, reached the CBI office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake at 11 am on Sunday.
Ghosh was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours, he said.
The ex-principal was also questioned who had ordered the renovation of the rooms near the seminar hall at the emergency building of the hospital after the incident.
“We are trying to find out whether there was any conspiracy or pre-planning to the crime. What was the principal doing and whether he is involved with the incident in any manner,” the officer said.
The CBI sleuths would be verifying Ghosh’s replies with the versions of other doctors and interns who were on duty along with the deceased doctor at the chest medicine department on the night of the incident.
So far, CBI has grilled over 20 people, including a couple of officers of the Kolkata Police, in connection with its investigation.
The former principal had resigned from the post two days after the woman’s body was found on August 9.
He had expressed fears of being attacked, prompting his lawyer to seek protection from the Calcutta High Court. The court directed him to approach a single bench.
Padma awardee doctors write to PM Modi
Expressing anguish over the Kolkata rape-murder incident, over 70 Padma awardee doctors have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding quick enactment of a special law to deal with violence against healthcare personnel and implementation of improved safety protocols in medical facilities.The renowned doctors like Ashok Vaid, Harsh Mahajan, Anoop Misra, A K Grover, Alka Kriplani and Mohsin Wali have sought PM Modi’s “immediate and personal intervention” to address the “alarming” situation and suggested that the Centre bring an ordinance immediately to ensure the “harshest possible punishment” to those who indulge in violence against healthcare workers, whether verbal or physical. The eminent doctors also urged stricter enforcement of existing laws and enhanced safety measures in hospitals and medical institutions. (PTI)
