Kolkata horror: Centre moves SC against Bengal's 'non-cooperation' with CISF 

Alleging "unpardonable" non-cooperation by the West Bengal Government in providing logistical support to the CISF, ordered to provide security at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and its hostels, the Centre on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to state authorities to extend full cooperation to the central force.

In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) urged the top court to direct the West Bengal Government to extend full cooperation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and ensure full compliance, in letter and spirit, of its orders in the Kolkata rape and murder case.

It requested the top court to initiate contempt proceedings against the state government officials/authorities concerned for wilful non-compliance of the orders, if they didn't extend cooperation to the CISF.

Describing the West Bengal government’s conduct as “unexpected”, “unjustifiable”, “contemptuous” and “unpardonable”, the MHA said that such a course of action adopted by the state government “goes against all the constitutional and moral principles which the state should abide by”.

It said in compliance of the top court’s order, the Centre has deployed two companies of CISF – each having 92 personnel of various ranks, including 54 female personnel under the command of a woman officer in three shifts with effect from August 22 at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The MHA alleged that the state administration and Kolkata Police failed to provide them adequate accommodation, vehicles and security gadgets.

Terming the ‘non-cooperation’ of the TMC government as an example "symptomatic of a systemic malaise", the MHA sought a direction to the state authorities to extend full cooperation to the CISF.

A Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud – which had on August 20 ordered the Centre to deploy CISF personnel for security of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and its hostels – is scheduled to take up the matter on September 5. It will also consider reports submitted by the CBI and the state government.

The top court had ordered the CISF to provide security to doctors and other medical professionals at the RG Kar Hospital and its hostels after a senior counsel for ‘Protect the Warriors’ – a doctors’ organisation – submitted that almost 90% of the 700 doctors had left the hostel following the August 14-15 midnight vandalism at the hospital and that there were only 30-40 female and 60-70 male doctors left in hostels.

Expressing serious concern over “virtual absence for safe working conditions” for doctors and health professionals, the Supreme Court had also set up a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to frame a national protocol for ensuring safety and basic facilities/amenities for them.

A badly injured body of the post-graduate trainee doctor – now being called Abhaya -- was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata, 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. The CBI has questioned Dr Sandip Ghosh, former Principal of RG Kar Medical College, and arrested him in a corruption case.