The Supreme Court, hearing the Kolkata rape-murder incident today, said the nation cannot wait for another rape for changes on the ground. The DY Chandrachud-led bench also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the West Bengal government and the authorities at the hospital over the delay in filing the FIR and other procedural lapses in handling the case.
“Medical professions have become vulnerable to violence. Due to ingrained patriarchal biases, women doctors are targeted more. As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground,” CJI Chandrachud noted. During the hearing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud raised several pressing questions regarding the actions of the hospital’s administration and the local police.
“Why was FIR registered three hours after the body was handed over for cremation,” the Supreme Court bench asked.
The Supreme Court, on its own, took up the investigation into the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The incident has triggered widespread protests across the country and raised questions over women’s safety, particularly in medical colleges.
The three-judge bench is led by CJI Chandrachud and comprises Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.