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The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognizance of the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata. This case, titled "In Re : Alleged Rape and Murder of Trainee Doctor in RG Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata and related issues," will be heard on Tuesday, August 20th, by a bench comprising the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The case was registered on August 20th at 1:03 PM, highlighting the gravity with which the court views this incident.
The body of the victim, a post-graduate trainee doctor, was tragically found in the hospital's seminar room on August 9th. The following day, Kolkata Police arrested a civic volunteer in connection with the crime. However, the Calcutta High Court, expressing dissatisfaction with the progress made by the Kolkata Police, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation on August 13th. This decision was based on petitions filed by the victim's parents and other individuals who feared that the investigation would be compromised if it remained under the Kolkata Police's purview.
The High Court, in its order, highlighted concerns about the initial registration of the case as unnatural death, which is usually registered when no complaint is filed. The court found it surprising that the hospital principal did not lodge a complaint given that the victim was a doctor at the same hospital. The lack of significant progress in the investigation, the absence of support for the victim and her family, and the principal's failure to give a statement further fueled concerns about evidence being destroyed. Therefore, the High Court deemed it necessary to transfer the investigation to the CBI to ensure a fair and impartial investigation and restore public confidence.
Source: Kolkata Doctor's Rape & Murder : Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Case Over RG Kar Hospital Incident