- Prolonged Strike by Junior Doctors: Junior doctors in West Bengal have been on strike at state-run hospitals for nearly a month, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
- Supreme Court Orders Doctors to Resume Work: The Supreme Court ordered the striking doctors to resume their duties by 5 pm on Tuesday, warning of potential adverse actions by the state government if they fail to comply. However, the doctors have decided to continue their protest.
- Missing Key Document in Investigation: The Supreme Court raised concerns about the missing challan that should have accompanied the victim’s body for postmortem. The document’s absence has drawn scrutiny, with the CBI directed to investigate its whereabouts.
- Delayed FIR Filing Criticized: The court criticized the Kolkata Police for a 14-hour delay in filing an FIR after the incident and ordered the CBI to submit a fresh status report on the case by September 17.
- Court Orders Removal of Victim’s Photos from Social Media: Following concerns about the circulation of the victim’s photos on social media, the Supreme Court ordered their immediate removal to protect the privacy and dignity of the deceased.
- Doctors’ Firm Stand: Despite the Supreme Court’s order, the junior doctors remain adamant about continuing their strike until their demands for justice are met.
Image Source - PTI
Junior doctors in West Bengal have gone on a 'cease work' strike in all government hospitals for nearly a month, protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. However, despite the Supreme Court asking them to return to duties by 5 pm on Tuesday, protesting doctors warned that the agitation would continue until their demands were met.
Supreme Court Orders Doctors to Go Back to Work
The Supreme Court had on Monday directed the junior doctors to go back to work, warning that if they do not return to work, the state government may take adverse action against them. But the doctors have refused, demanding the resignation of the state's health secretary and the director of health education. They will also march to 'Swasthya Bhavan', the headquarters of the state health department in Salt Lake, on Tuesday afternoon.
Image Source - Hindustan Times
Nationwide Protests and Government Assurances
The incident has resulted in protests not only in Kolkata and across West Bengal, but the movement spread across the country. The state government has assured the Supreme Court that no disciplinary measure, including transfers, would be imposed on the striking doctors if they resumed work as directed.
Missing Documents and Delayed Investigation Raise Concerns
During the hearing in the Supreme Court, there were issues related to the investigation of some vital documents that were missing, such as a challan that needed to accompany the body of the dead doctor for post-mortem.
The court has elaborated on the importance of such a document, explaining the clothes and other items that were forwarded for examination. The CBI had been ordered to explain the fate of the challan because, according to the record, it was not there.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, told the court, "The document is being searched and the position will be informed to the court." The court also pulled up Kolkata Police for the delay in lodging an FIR after 14 hours of the crime and also asked the CBI to file a fresh status report of its investigation on September 17.
Image Source - The Hindu
Court Orders Removal of Victim's Photos from Social Media
The Supreme Court also expressed its worry over the victim's photos circulating on social media. It was Geeta Luthra, senior counsel for the protesting doctors, who raised this issue before the court after which the latter directed that those images should not be circulated any further so as not to injure the dignity and privacy of the dead.
Image Source - The Hindu
Security at Medical Institutions Under Scrutiny
Against the backdrop of escalating insecurities regarding the safety of state medical colleges, the Supreme Court instructed all district magistrates and police superintendents in West Bengal to take a fresh look at the security arrangements at medical colleges and ensure that its students and staff were safe.
The junior doctors are, however, unmoved in their stand that they would not resume work unless their demands were met despite a court directive to go back to work.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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