The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday has informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it is conducting a thorough investigation into the rape & murder of a doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented the agency’s 5th status report to a bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Mehta stated, “The investigation is ongoing with utmost seriousness. A chargesheet was filed on October 7 against accused Sanjay Roy, and a Sealdah court has taken cognizance of the matter.” The Supreme Court noted that the CBI’s report indicated an investigation into the involvement of other individuals and requested another status update within 3 weeks.
The court also addressed the National Task Force established to recommend safety measures for medical professionals, pointing out that it has not convened since early September.
The justices urged the Centre to take proactive measures to ensure timely completion of the task. They emphasized, “The NTF should hold periodic meetings, and all subgroups should convene regularly,” directing them to formulate safety recommendations for doctors in Kolkata within three weeks.
During previous hearings, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the West Bengal government’s slow progress in installing CCTVs and creating proper facilities in government medical colleges. The court had set an October 15 deadline for completion of these tasks.
On September 30, the justices had also shown concern over the absence of a “challan” a key document necessary for postmortem procedures—from the records submitted.
On August 22, the Supreme Court criticized the Kolkata police for delaying the registration of the unnatural death case and called the situation “extremely disturbing.” The apex court established a 10-member National Task Force to develop a protocol for ensuring the safety of doctors and healthcare workers following the incident, which sparked nationwide protests.
The brutal nature of the crime, which involved the doctor being found with visible injuries, has drawn widespread outrage. The police arrested a civic volunteer shortly after the crime.
Earlier, on August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered that the investigation be transferred from the Kolkata police to the CBI, which commenced its inquiry the following day.
Court’s ongoing hearings underscore the urgency and seriousness with which the investigation and subsequent safety measures are being approached in response to this tragic incident.
