New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, during the hearing of the Kolkata rape and murder case, sharply criticized the West Bengal government, noting several issues, including the mob attacks on peaceful protestors and the delay in filing the FIR.
The Supreme Court also established a National Task Force (NTF) for doctors, instructing it to submit its findings within three weeks. Additionally, the court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the case by August 22.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the brutal rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The case was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
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Earlier, the Apex Court reprimanded the Kolkata Police, questioning their actions during the incident. The Chief Justice highlighted that the college principal initially tried to dismiss the incident as a suicide, and the police informed the victim’s parents of the same before later filing a murder case.
The Chief Justice expressed concern over the significant delay in filing the FIR and criticized the West Bengal government for failing to ensure safety. “We are unable to comprehend how the state was not prepared,” the Chief Justice remarked, referring to the mob attacks on peaceful doctors.
The Supreme Court also questioned the Mamata Banerjee government about the delay in filing the FIR, asking, “Why was the rape and murder dismissed as a suicide?” The Chief Justice further stated that the brutality of the incident shocked the nation’s conscience.
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The Chief Justice formed a National Task Force (NTF) for doctors, comprising the following members:
Surgeon Vice Admiral R. Sarin
Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy
Dr. M. Shreenivas
Dr. Pratima Murty
Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri
Dr. Saumitra Rawat
Prof. Anita Saxena, Head of Cardiology, AIIMS Delhi
Prof. Pallavi Sapre, Dean, Grant Medical College, Mumbai
Dr. Padma Srivastava, Neurology Department, AIIMS
Ex officio members of the National Task Force:
Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India
Home Secretary to the Government of India
Secretary, Union Health Ministry
Chairperson, National Medical Commission
President, National Board of Examiners
The NTF is required to submit its report within three weeks.