Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of Kolkata doctor rape-murder; hearing on August 20

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, August 18

The Supreme Court on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in the state-run RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata, that has outraged the nation and triggered nationwide protests by doctors.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will take up the matter on Tuesday.

According to the August 20 cause list uploaded on the Supreme Court website, the matter is listed as “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issues” before a Bench of CJI Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra.

The badly injured body of the post-graduate trainee doctor—now being called Abhaya—was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Hospital on August 9. The Kolkata Police initially registered a case of unnatural death and arrested Sanjay Roy—a civic volunteer—the next day.

However, acting on a petition filed by the victim’s parents, the Calcutta High Court on August 13 transferred the probe to the CBI, expressing dissatisfaction over the investigation conducted by the Kolkata Police.

“When the deceased was a doctor in the same hospital, it is surprising why the Principal did not lodge a complaint… The Principal has not even given a statement,” the High Court had said, accepting the victim's parents’ prayer that evidence would be destroyed. The High Court transferred the case to the CBI, saying it would “inspire public confidence” in the probe.

On August 14, the RG Kar Hospital was allegedly vandalised by a group of people which even attacked the protesting doctors. The High Court had pulled up the state government for vandalism at the hospital.

RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former Principal Sandip Ghosh was on Sunday questioned for the third consecutive day by the CBI. The probe agency is said to be trying to track Ghosh’s phone calls and texts to found out if the rape and murder termed ‘suicide’ on his instructions.

Following a call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for a nationwide withdrawal of services, doctors were on strike from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday, demanding safety, security and basic amenities for medical professionals in hospitals.