The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to transfer the trial in the rape and murder case of a Kolkata doctor outside of West Bengal, ruling that the trial court judge has sufficient authority to order further investigation if deemed necessary after examining the evidence.
A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud reviewed the sixth status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is handling the investigation into the incident at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court refrained from making observations on the probe, noting that it is still underway.
Charges were framed against the primary suspect, Sanjay Roy, in a Kolkata court on November 4, with day-to-day proceedings scheduled to begin on November 11, according to the Supreme Court.
During Thursday’s hearing, a national task force (NTF) created to establish protocols for the safety of healthcare workers presented its report. The court ordered that the report be circulated to all states and union territories and scheduled the next hearing in four weeks.
The court had previously raised concerns over West Bengal’s hiring of civic volunteers, questioning the recruitment process and requesting data from the state government. On September 30, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the “tardy” progress in installing CCTV cameras and building separate restrooms in government medical colleges, setting a deadline for October 15.
The investigation, initially delayed by Kolkata police, was transferred to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court on August 13. The Supreme Court, describing the incident as “horrific,” censured the state government for alleged delays in filing the initial FIR and managing the scene where large crowds gathered and vandalised hospital facilities.
The doctor’s death, reportedly marked by injury signs on the body, sparked widespread protests.