Supreme Court Asks Protesting Doctors to Return to Duty, Assures No Punitive Action Over Kolkata Murder case Protests
The Supreme Court on Thursday urged doctors protesting the rape and murder of a postgraduate medical student at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College to return to work, assuring them that no punitive actions will be taken once they resume their duties.
A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was informed by the counsel representing resident doctors at AIIMS Nagpur that they were being targeted for their involvement in protests over the incident.
The bench, which also included Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized that the public health system cannot function if doctors remain off duty. “Once they return to work, we will ensure that no adverse actions are taken against them. If there are issues afterward, they can approach us again, but first, they need to report back to work,” the court stated.
The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor, which occurred in a seminar hall at the state-run hospital, have triggered widespread protests across the country. The victim’s body, bearing severe injury marks, was discovered on August 9 in the hospital’s chest department. The following day, a civic volunteer was arrested by Kolkata Police in connection with the case.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which commenced its probe on August 14.
(With inputs from agency)
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