The Supreme Court will continue hearing on September 30 the matter where it has taken suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month.
A three-judge Bench, headed by CJI D. Y. Chandrachud, which scheduled the next hearing for September 27, will now take up the matter for hearing on September 30 on the West Bengal government’s request.
In a hearing held last week, the Bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, raised concerns after its attention was drawn to a state government order requiring women doctors to not be employed at night.
After the SC's intervention, the West Bengal government assured the top court that any conditions which cast a cloud on the basic constitutional premise of gender equality will not be enforced.
Further, it reiterated that no adverse or punitive action shall be taken against the doctors who return to work.
During the hearing, the apex court observed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe was intending to unearth “absolute truth” and “further truth” of the alleged murder and rape incident.
After perusal of the fresh status report of the CBI, the CJI Chandrachud-led Bench said, “We have looked at the status report of the CBI. Making a disclosure today about what the CBI is doing will jeopardise the course of the investigation.
“The line of further CBI investigation intends to unearth absolute truth and further truth. All of you know, apart from the principal, there has been an arrest of the SHO himself. He is in custody of the CBI and significant pieces of investigation would be revealed in the course of the investigation.”
“Please rest assured, CBI apart from performing its own independent responsibilities, has also responded to the issues raised in the course of the last hearing,” it added.
The Supreme Court stressed that the central investigation agency must be given adequate time and any attempt to close the investigation within a time-bound manner will “dislocate” the purpose of the CBI probe.
“We all are interested in ensuring a proper investigation to reach the ultimate truth, which is being carried out by the CBI,” said the CJI-led Bench.
Taking suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital, the Supreme Court had termed the incident "horrific," which raises the "systemic issue of safety of doctors across the country".
"We are deeply concerned with the fact that there is an absence of safe conditions of work for young doctors across the country, particularly, public hospitals," it had said.
The top court ordered the formation of a National Task Force (NTF) to suggest measures for the security of medical professionals across the country, observing that the safety of doctors is the "highest national concern".
Further, it asked the NTF, set up by the government on its direction, to give a hearing to diverse medical associations while formulating effective recommendations relating to the safety, working conditions and well-being of doctors and medical professionals.
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