Kolkata doctor rape and murder: Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance, victim’s father refuses compensation

A week after the Calcutta High Court expressed discontent over the ongoing investigation by Kolkata Police and transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI, the Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognizance of the brutal case of rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the matter on Tuesday, 20^th August. The case is titled “In Re: Alleged Rape and Murder of Trainee Doctor in RG Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata and related issues.” A petition was filed before the Supreme Court on Saturday, urging the court to take cognisance of the incident.

The victim, a junior doctor of Chest Medicine Department was brutally raped before being murdered while on being at night duty at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9^th August. Kolkata Police has arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer in connection with the case.

CBI probing case

Currently, the case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as per orders of the Calcutta High Court which cited lapses in the police investigation. The horrific rape and murder case has raised questions about the safety of medical professionals in India, particularly women, who are often left vulnerable in their workplaces. The CBI has started interrogating the former principal of the medical college, Dr Sandip Ghosh. He was summoned by the premier investigation agency for the fourth consecutive day on Monday. The CBI is also conducting a psychological assessment of accused Sanjay Roy, who was arrested by Kolkata Police in connection with the rape-and-murder case.

Protests and allegations against state authorities

Five days after the incident, on 14^th August, a bunch of unidentified men entered the Hospital around 12.40 am on Thursday and vandalised hospital property while junior doctors’ were protesting at the premises against the horrific rape and murder. The group also targeted the makeshift protest-dais. The incident took place at a time when midnight protests named ‘Reclaim the Night’ were being held by women against the crime.

The brutal crime has shaken the entire nation triggering massive outrage, protests and strikes by medical practitioners, students and common people across the country. The Supreme Court’s intervention comes at a time when there is enormous pressure from citizens across the nation, allegation of evidence tampering against Kolkata police and allegation against Government of West Bengal of shielding Dr Sandip Ghosh, former Principal of the medical college. Protests are being held every day in various parts of Kolkata in demand of justice for the victim and enhanced safety of the city’s women.

Victim’s father refuses compensation from West Bengal Govt

Meanwhile, the victim’s father has refused to accept a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs offered by the state. Expressing dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s actions, he has alleged that the state government is “trying to silence” those demanding justice for his daughter. He has also questioned the state’s ‘urgency’ to cremate his daughter soon after the post-mortem.

“There were three bodies at the crematorium, but our daughter’s body was cremated first. The Chief Minister is talking about providing justice, but attempts are being…not satisfied with Mamata Banerjee and have refused to take any compensation,” he told news agency ANI.

“The Chief Minister is talking about providing justice and even took to the streets in solidarity. But why send common people demanding justice to jail? We are not satisfied with what the Chief Minister is doing. We have refused to accept the compensation that was offered to us by the state govt,” he told the media in Kolkata.

He has also raised questions about the investigation being carried out by Kolkata Police before the CBI took over. “Nothing came out of the inquiry. Nobody from the (chest medicine) department or the college cooperated with us. The entire department is responsible for my daughter’s murder…we suspect some people in the department were involved in the crime,” he told the media.

IMA strikes

To protest the brutal rape and murder of a trainee medical student and the violent attack on resident and junior doctors at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) the country’s largest body of doctors held a 24-hour nationwide doctors’ strike from 6 am on Saturday, August 17th, to 6 am on Sunday, August 18th. While essential services and casualties were catered to, OPDs and elective surgeries were not performed during the strike.