Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: SC orders setting up of national task force for safety of doctors

Amid the uproar over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical college, the Supreme Court, on Monday, i.e., August 20, ordered the establishment of a national task force in order to ensure the safety of doctors. 

The remarks of the apex court came as it took suo motu cognizance of the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata. The court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit its report on Thursday. 

The CBI has been entrusted with the probe into the Kolkata rape and murder case. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, condemned the incident and noted that 'if women cannot work safely, it amounts to denying them equality.'

The bench further questioned the West Bengal government for the delay in the registration of an FIR into the matter and also called out the hospital authorities for mishandling the situation. 

A  31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead and half-naked in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical college in Kolkata. The post-mortem report confirmed rape and suggested that there were grave injuries in her private parts, with her pelvic girdle broken and her legs wide open. 

The incident triggered a nationwide protest with people descending to the streets and demanding justice for the deceased victim. Earlier on the night of August 14, a furious mob vandalised the hospital where the horrific incident took place. 

However, the police affirmed that the crime scene was not disturbed. 

Meanwhile, an accused named Sanjay Roy, who worked as a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested by the Kolkata police and later handed over to the CBI for further probe.