Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was hearing the case with Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today refused to transfer the RG Kar rape-murder case outside West Bengal and reprimanded a lawyer who claimed that the people of the state were losing faith in the police and judiciary. Responding to a lawyer’s request to transfer the case, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, “Yes we have done it in cases like Manipur. But we don’t do anything like that here. There is no such transfer.”
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra initially heard the status report filed by the CBI, which is investigating the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. Hospital in August.
“We have seen the sixth status report filed by the CBI, which indicates that the Additional Sessions Judge has framed charges punishable under Sections 64 and 103 of the BNS (Indian Judicial Code). The next hearing is on November 11. As the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to observe Let’s submit an updated status report after four weeks,” said the retiring Chief Justice on Sunday.
The bench also reviewed the report of the National Task Force constituted to recommend steps to ensure safe working conditions for healthcare workers in hospitals. The Chief Justice said that the report should be circulated among the chief secretaries of all the states/UTs so that they could make suggestions. He said that this exercise should be completed within three weeks.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing on behalf of the doctors of Bengal, raised some objections. The Chief Justice asked him to submit suggestions.
At one point, a lawyer said that the people of West Bengal had “lost faith in the judiciary”. The Chief Justice gave a stern reply and asked the lawyer, “For whom are you appearing? Don’t make such general statements. There is nothing like that.” He added that it was “canteen gossip going on in court”.
The rape-murder of RG Kar sparked widespread protests across the country and doctors took to the streets to demand workplace safety. The Mamata Banerjee government accused the protesters of trying to cover up the fire. The Kolkata High Court was not satisfied with the Kolkata Police’s investigation and handed over the case to the CBI. After the doctor was found dead, the Supreme Court automatically took cognizance of the matter and asked the hospital administration to respond. The Supreme Court has been monitoring the CBI investigation since then. After the retirement of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, another Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna will take his place on the bench hearing the case.
(TagsToTranslate)RG Kar Medical College Rape and Murder Case