SC Bench Led By CJI To Hear Kolkata Doctor’s Rape And Murder Case Today

The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a suo motu case related to the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate medical student at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday. 

The hearing, scheduled at 10.30 am, will be led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also on the bench. The case, titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue,” has drawn widespread attention and comes at a time when doctors across the country are on strike demanding justice.

The student’s death, discovered with severe injuries in a hospital seminar hall on 9 August, has sparked a nationwide outcry. The ongoing strike has now entered its second week and has severely impacted patient care. 

Protesting doctors are calling for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bring the perpetrators to justice and are seeking stringent penalties for the accused. Additionally, they are demanding assurances from the government to prevent future incidents of this nature.

The Calcutta High Court had already transferred the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on 13 August, following a petition from the victim’s family. The high court had criticised the handling of the situation and directed both the police and hospital authorities to submit affidavits. It also noted the failure of the state machinery in managing the subsequent mob violence, which involved a crowd of 7,000 people at the hospital, as reported by the state’s lawyer.