The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed deep concern over the Kolkata Police’s delayed response in registering an unnatural death case involving the brutal rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court labeled the delay as “highly troubling” and urged protesting medical professionals to resume their duties, promising that no punitive measures would be taken against them once they return to work.
During the hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, raised serious questions regarding the police’s handling of the case. The bench found it alarming that the postmortem of the victim was conducted on August 9, between 6:10 PM and 7:10 PM, while the official report of the unnatural death wasn’t filed until 11:30 PM the same day.
“How can it be that the postmortem took place at 6:10 PM on August 9, yet the unnatural death was only recorded at 11:30 PM? This sequence of events is highly concerning,” the bench remarked.
The court has summoned the Kolkata Police officer responsible for registering the initial report of the crime, instructing them to provide a detailed timeline of the case’s documentation in the next hearing.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, highlighted the disturbing fact that the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at 11:45 PM, after the victim had already been cremated. Mehta also pointed out that the state police initially misled the victim’s parents by suggesting that the death was a suicide, before later admitting it was a murder. The victim’s friend, suspicious of a cover-up, insisted that the postmortem be videographed.
The Supreme Court, addressing the issue of the ongoing protests by doctors, emphasized the need for them to return to their duties to maintain the functionality of the public healthcare system. The court assured that no retaliatory actions would be taken against those who rejoin their work.
The tragic rape and murder of the young doctor, whose body was discovered with multiple severe injuries in a seminar room at the hospital, have ignited widespread outrage across the country. A civic volunteer was apprehended by Kolkata Police on August 10 in connection with the crime. Following public outcry, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI on August 13, with the central agency commencing its probe the following day.