Supreme Court Adjourns Suo Motu Case On RG Kar Rape-Murder To January 29

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan was hearing the suo motu case of the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata that occurred on August 9. 

Considering the paucity of time, the CJI stated: " I got the list in the morning, I think there are three applications filed by you (to Sr Adv Karuna Nandy) - one is for additional documents, one for directions and other things, give a copy to the other side......we will take it up at 2 PM on next Wednesday." 

"We normally don't cross 20 (matters), we read the first 20 and the matter which are freshly listed" the CJI explained before taking up the fresh matters in the supplementary list (item 43 onwards). 

Sr Advocate Karuna Nandy appearing for the Association of Junior and Senior Doctors had mentioned the matter which was listed as item 42 on the list today. 

Notably, on January 20 a sessions court in Kolkata's Sealdah sentenced prime accused Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment in the RG Kar rape and murder case, wherein Roy was accused of brutally raping and murdering a trainee doctor after her night shift at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. This was after Roy was convicted on January 18 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 64 (rape), 66 (causing injury resulting in the death of rape victim), and 103 (1) (murder).

On the last hearing Court also noted that the National Task Force- which was constituted to give recommendations to enhance the security cover for health professionals- has submitted its report. It asked the States and Union Territories to give their responses to the NTF recommendations. The NTF has been asked to give its final report within 12 weeks from today.

The Court also asked the AIIMS to consider a plea raised by certain doctors to not consider the period of their protest as abstention from duty in terms of the relief earlier granted by the Supreme Court.

The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor was found in the R.G. Kar Hospital's seminar room on August 9. The Kolkata Police arrested a civic volunteer the next day in this connection.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation, after expressing lack of satisfaction with the Kolkata Police.

On August 19, the Supreme Court took a suo motu case over the incident. In October, the CBI filed chargesheet against accused Sanjay Roy, who was arrested by the Kolkata police.

Case Title : In Re : Alleged Rape and Murder of Trainee Doctor in RG Kar Medical College Hospital Kolkata and related issues | SMW(Crl) 2/2024