Kolkata rape-murder case: Supreme Court sets up national task force for doctors' safety | Who are the members?
Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case hearing: National task force will submit its interim report within 3 weeks and the final report within 2 months, CJI said.
Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case hearing: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered setting up a 10-member national task force to make recommendations on prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals, days after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests.
The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.
The Supreme Court said the doctors’ panel will frame guidelines for ensuring safety and protection of medical professionals and health care workers across the country.
“Protecting safety of doctors and women doctors is a matter of national interest and principle of equality. The nation cannot await another rape for it to take some steps,” the CJI said.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding safety of doctor across India.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.
The Supreme Court also came down heavily on the West Bengal government over delay in filing FIR in the rape-murder case, and asked what were hospital authorities doing.
"It appears crime was detected in early hours, medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide," the bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra observed.
The bench rapped the Kolkata Police and asked how a mob of thousands entered the RG Kar Medical College.
Members of the national task-force are
- Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian
- Dr Reddy , Mangaing Director Asian Institute of National Gastrology
- Dr M Srivas, Director AIIMS, Delhi
- Dr Prathima Moorthy, NIMHANS, Bangalore
- Dr Puri, Director, AIIMs, Jodhpur
- Dr Ravat, Managing member of Gangaram Hospital
- Prof Anita Saxena, VC of Pandit BD Sharma College
- Dr Pallavi
- Dr Padma Srivastav
DY Chandrachud said the following shall be the ex-officio members of the national task-force: (a) the cabinet secretary to the GOI; (b) the home secretary of GOI; (c) secretary of ministry of family welfare
The Supreme Court also directed the CBI to submit a status report on the probe into the Kolkata rape-murder case on August 22. The court also asked the West Bengal government to asked to submit its explanation regarding the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Doctors and medics across India have been holding protests, candlelight marches and even temporarily refused care for non-emergency patients since August 9 when the killing in Kolkata. The doctors say the assault highlights the vulnerability of health care workers in hospitals and medical campuses across India.
The rape and killing of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has also focused rage on the chronic issue of violence against women.
A police volunteer has been arrested and charged with the crime.
Thousands of people, particularly women, have marched in the streets of Kolkata demanding justice for the doctor. They say women in India continue to face rising violence despite tough laws that were implemented following the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.
That attack had inspired lawmakers to order harsher penalties for such crimes and set up fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases. The government also introduced the death penalty for repeat offenders.
Despite tougher legislation, sexual violence against women has remained a widespread problem in India. In 2022, police recorded 31,516 reports of rape — a 20 per cent jump from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.