Kolkata rape case: ‘Women doctors are targetted more,’ CJI Chandrachud calls out ‘patriarchal biases’ in medical field

Kolkata Rape Case SC Hearing: Terming the rape and murder case of a medic at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as horrific, the Supreme Court on Tuesday called out the patriarchal biases and said, “Women doctors are targetted more”.

CJI DY Chandrachud noted, “Medical professions have become vulnerable to violence....due to ingrained patriarchal biases, the women doctors are targetted more.”

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CJI further stressed ‘hierarchy in the medical field’.

CJI observed, “As more and more women join the workforce.....the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground. Existing enactments do not adequately address the institutional safety standards for doctors and medical workers,” LiveLaw reported.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding doctor safety 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.

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The top court slammed the West Bengal government over the delay in filing an FIR in the rape-murder case and asked what the hospital authorities were 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.

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The apex court said most young doctors are putting in 36 hours of work and there was a need to evolve national protocol to ensure safe conditions at workplace.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said West Bengal should not be in denial mode and there was a complete failure of law and order in state.

The medic’s body, showing severe injury marks, was discovered inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department on August 9. The Kolkata Police arrested a civic volunteer in connection with the case the following day.

Also Read: Kolkata doctor rape case highlights: SC to hear plea related to RG Kar hospital case today at 10.30

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which began its probe on August 14. This decision was made while the court was considering petitions, including one from the victim’s parents requesting a court-monitored investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)