The Supreme Court, in a hearing on Tuesday regarding the suo motu case involving the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, noted that the fifth status report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) points to the involvement of additional individuals in the crime.
During the hearing, the bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, also directed the West Bengal government to provide details regarding the recruitment process of civic volunteers, particularly since one of these volunteers is a prime suspect in the case. The bench remarked on the state’s recruitment practices, stating that the process seemed to offer “political patronage to unverified persons” and asked for an affidavit from the state within three weeks. The court further ordered that civic volunteers recruited under the ‘Ratire Sathi’ scheme should not be posted in hospitals and schools until further notice.
The Supreme Court took note of the chargesheet filed against the accused, Sanjay Roy, on October 7 in a Sealdah court and instructed the CBI to file a further status report on the investigation within three weeks.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, presented the latest report, while the court also emphasized the importance of holding periodic National Task Force meetings to formulate recommendations on the safety of Kolkata doctors. The task force was instructed to submit its recommendations within three weeks.
Previously, on September 30, the court had expressed dissatisfaction with the West Bengal government’s slow progress in installing CCTV cameras and building toilets and resting rooms in government medical colleges, setting an October 15 deadline for completion. Additionally, on September 17, the court refused to disclose details from a CBI status report due to concerns over compromising the ongoing investigation.
The case had attracted significant attention when, on August 13, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation from the Kolkata police to the CBI, which began its probe the following day. The case, involving the tragic death of a doctor with injury marks on her body, sparked nationwide protests, and the subsequent investigation revealed multiple procedural irregularities.
