Kolkata Rape-Murder: SC Finds Police Delay 'Extremely Disturbing', Urges Doctors' To End Strike

The SC continued its hearing of the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The Supreme Court on Thursday described the Kolkata Police's delay in registering the unnatural death of a female doctor, who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, as "extremely disturbing." The court also urged protesting doctors to return to work, assuring them that they would face no adverse action upon their return.

The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, questioned the sequence and timing of the police's legal procedures, expressing surprise that the postmortem was conducted on August 9 from 6:10 pm to 7:10 pm, prior to the case being registered as an unnatural death.

"The post-mortem was conducted at 6:10 pm on August 9, yet the report of unnatural death was sent to Tala police station at 11:30 pm on the same day. This is extremely disturbing," remarked the bench, which also included Justice J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The court ordered the Kolkata Police officer who made the initial entry regarding the rape-murder case to appear at the next hearing to disclose the time of the entry.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, informed the court that the FIR was shockingly registered at 11:45 pm, after the cremation of the postgraduate doctor.

"The state police initially deemed it a suicide, then declared it a murder. A friend of the victim suspected a cover-up and demanded videography," Mehta stated to the bench.

At the start of the hearing, the court requested that protesting doctors resume their duties, promising that no adverse action would be taken against them once they rejoined.

Counsel for the resident doctors at AIIMS Nagpur informed the apex court that they are facing victimization for protesting the Kolkata rape-murder case.

"We will ensure that authorities do not take adverse action once they return to duty. The public health infrastructure cannot function without the doctors," the bench said.

“If there is difficulty after that, come to us… but let them first report to work,” it said. The top court said its heart goes out to all patients visiting public hospitals. It assured doctors' associations that the National Task Force will hear all stakeholders.

The brutal assault and murder of the junior doctor has sparked nationwide protests. Her body was found with severe injury marks inside the seminar hall of the state-run hospital's chest department. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day on August 10.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.