On August 22, the Supreme Court expressed strong disapproval of the West Bengal Police and Government for significant delays and discrepancies in their investigation into the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.
The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, scrutinized the investigation's status reports submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the West Bengal Police.
Key concerns included a 14-hour delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) after the victim’s body was discovered and inconsistencies in police records, particularly the late registration of the victim's death in the General Diary. The Bench questioned why the case was recorded as an unnatural death hours after the post-mortem was conducted.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, alleged that the crime scene was altered before the agency could begin its probe, raising further concerns about the investigation’s integrity.
The Supreme Court also addressed the safety of doctors at RG Kar Hospital, ordering that no coercive action be taken against them for peaceful protests. The Bench directed the Union Health Ministry to establish a portal for doctors to submit safety suggestions to the National Task Force. Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized the importance of allowing the law to take its course without politicizing the issue while also focusing on healthcare professionals' future welfare and safety.
