Kolkata Rape-Murder Case Hearing: ‘Deeply concerned that name, photograph of victim is all over India,’ says CJI

Kolkata Rape Case SC Hearing: The Supreme Court, while hearing a suo motu plea on Tuesday in connection with the rape and murder of a junior postgraduate doctor in Kolkata, said that deeply concerned about the fact that name, a photograph of the victim is all over India.

Also Read: Kolkata Rape-Murder Case Hearing Live Updates: SC directs formation of National Task Force for medical staff safety

CJI said, “Deeply concerned of the fact that name, photograph of the victim is all over the India. We are deeply concerned about the fact that the name, photo and video clip of the Kolkata rape victim was published all over. The law prohibits publishing victims' names. Is this the way we provide dignity to the young doctor who has lost her life?”

SC terms the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder "horrific" and “horrendous”, pulling up the West Bengal government over the delay in the registration of FIR and destruction of the crime scene.

“SC will pass an order for the National Task Force to make recommendations that morality should be followed all over the country to ensure safety at theworkplace,” said CJI.

National Task Force members and roles

In the National Task Force, these are the following members are constituted:

1. Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, AVSM, VSM, Director General of Medical Services in the Indian Navy.

2. D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad.

3. M Srinivan, Director, AIIMS Delhi.

4. Dr Pratima Murty, National Institute of mental health and neuroscience, Bengaluru.

5. Govardhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS, Jodhpur.

6. Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson. Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation.

7. Anita Saxena, Dr Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor of Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak.

8. Pallavi Sanwle, Dean, JJ School of Hospital, Mumbai.

9. Padma Srivastava, Padma Shri Dr. (Prof.) M.V Padma Srivastava, is currently the Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram.

SC also questions the Principal of the college for trying to pass it off as suicide, and the parents were not allowed to see the body.

SC directed that the NTF shall make action plans on two heads - (1) preventing violence, including gender-based violence against medical professionals; (2) providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors etc.

A bench presided by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing of the petition filed on August 9. The plea aims to expand the scope of judicial scrutiny, reported HT.

The case related to rape and murder of a doctor at state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital is titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue.”

The Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13.

(This is a developing story)