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

The Supreme Court will shortly hear suo motu petition concerning the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata.

Union Minister L Murugan strongly condemned the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata and criticised the West Bengal government for "failure" to take action.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Murugan said, "It's a strongly condemnable incident. The West Bengal chief minister should have taken severe action against the accused, but they failed. That's where the CBI entered and CBI filed the case and CBI started the inquiry."

The CBI has received the nod to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy. Following this decision, the Calcutta High Court deferred hearing in the case to August 29.

Senior TMC minister Udayan Guha has sparked controversy claiming that fingers of those blaming West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and demanding her resignation over alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor would be broken. “People who are attacking Mamata Banerjee, pointing fingers at her, and demanding her resignation will never succeed. Those pointing fingers at the CM will be broken and crushed,” he was heard saying in the video.

A user on X, Dr. Ananya Jamwal, shared a video of doctors demanding justice for the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

Protesters in Kolkata tied black ribbons to each other on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan 2024

A silent candle march was taken out at midnight on Monday by a group of people here at The Ridge to demand justice for the Kolkata doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered.

Besides seeking capital punishment for the accused, the peaceful and symbolic demonstration aimed to raise awareness in society and reclaim public places.

On Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, advocate Satyam Singh says, " Federation of Residents of Doctor Association (FORDA) had moved an intervention application in Suo Motu PIL in Kolkata rape and murder case taken by Supreme Court...FORDA demanded to issue a guideline in light of the current guidelines with respect to health professionals. The association also demanded to deploy the central forces to protect the staff of RG Kar Medical College till the pendency of the case..." 

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear as the first matter on Tuesday a suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata amid the ongoing nationwide doctors' strike over it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing at 10:30 am on Tuesday.

The suo motu cognisance of the case, titled "In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue", assumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

There was no let-up in nationwide protests on Monday by junior doctors over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata, even as the Union health ministry approved 25 per cent enhancement in security deployment at central hospitals.

The CBI, probing the case, has been granted permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused, a civic volunteer.

In Kolkata, the protests escalated as senior doctors Kunal Sarkar and Subarna Goswami, who had posted about the incident on social media, appeared before police after leading a march of hundreds of healthcare professionals from Calcutta Medical College to Kolkata Police headquarters.

Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE: Mother-in-law of accused Sanjoy Roy says, "My relations with him were very tense...They were married for 2 years...His marriage to my daughter was his second marriage...Initially, everything was good for 6 months. When she was 3-month pregnant, he caused a miscarriage. He thrashed her, a police complaint was registered for the same. Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines...Sanjoy was not good. Hang him or do whatever you want with him. I won't speak about the crime. He could not have done it alone. He doesn't have the capacity to do it alone..."

Kolkata rape case LIVE:  Doctors of Calcutta Medical College in Kolkata protest over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case and their solidarity, through wall graffiti.

On Kolkata's RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh says, "A meeting of all the medical professional bodies was held...The main aim of the meeting was to call for justice and strict punishment should be given to those who are responsible for the incident. The accused should be sentenced to death...Central government and state government should announce an ex-gratia amount of ₹5 crore to the next of kin of the deceased...A law 'prevention of violence against medical personnel' should be proposed. The Prime Minister should call a meeting and ensure the nation that the law will be introduced in the next session...At the state level. more security personnel will be deployed, CCTV cameras will be installed which will cover all the dark stops in the next 48 hours..."

Kolkata rape case LIVE: A CBI team visited different areas of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for inspection, as they carry out their investigation into the case.

Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case: “I want to give the message of peace and love, especially today as it is Raksha Bandhan. I pray for the safety of all women and appeal to all brothers and doctors to think about patients. I support them and doctors’ demands are justified. Centre should bring in the Central Protection Act and our Prime Minister should think about it as it is a central subject,” said TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha.

"The CBI has got permission to conduct polygraph test of the arrested accused in Kolkata hospital rape-murder case," CBI sources

Kolkata rape case LIVE: "West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose is leaving for Delhi today. He will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister JP Nadda in Delhi and discuss the RG Kar Hospital doctor rape and murder case:" Raj Bhavan, Kolkata, was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

"The OPD that we are operating here is a symbolic protest. We are doing protest as well as offering OPD services here. The investigation is not up to mark. We want the CBI to catch the culprits and the court should give maximum punishment. We urge the government to ensure no such incident in future. Violence against doctors is increasing. We want the Act to be passed for safety of healthcare workers. We want the ordinance," said Dr Ansar, AIIMS Delhi on protesting doctors offering OPD services during their protest at Nirman Bhawan in Delhi.

The BJP held a press conference on Monday to demand justice for Kolkata doctor rape victim and resignation of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over the incident.

BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said, "...We want justice and the Chief Minister of West Bengal should resign...By her misdeeds, West Bengal CM has destroyed the dignity of a woman, a doctor who was serving society. She is the destroyer of the rule of law and evidence in this heinous crime which is vital to ensure that the accused get the punishment that they deserve..."

Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case LIVE: Resident doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, continue their strike over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE: TMC MP Sagarika Ghose accused the CBI of “inaction” and lauded Kolkata police for arresting the “prime accused” a day after the incident came to light.

Routine services at state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital remained affected on the fourth day due to the stir by junior and resident doctors in protest against the R.G Kar rape, murder case.

Lawyers practicing at the Calcutta High Court marched in a procession, demanding justice and "punishment to the real culprits" in the R.G Kar rape, murder incident. Former West Bengal Advocate General Jayanta Mitra also joined the march

Resident doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, continued their strike over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Several veteran doctors, former students of R.G Kar medical college, joined their younger counterparts in protests, demanding speedy justice for the deceased PG doctor. "I belong to the 1964 batch. What has happened in the hospital is just unthinkable and it is the call of the hour to hit the streets to protest", a veteran lady doctor said.

The father of the victim alleged that more than one person was involved in the ghastly crime. He said in an interview that all the people he had spoken to, including doctors, agreed with their opinion.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the CBI officers are doing their best to solve the case. "I have handed over to CBI all the documents given to me by the doctors of RG Kar Hospital...If before 23rd August a breakthrough is reached, then it is better as the arrested accused is presented before the court on that day, then the remand copy will indicate he was the lone culprit or not," said Ghosh.

RJD leader Manoj Jha accused Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose of playing politics over his comment that women are not safe in West Bengal. “One-sided opposition is not right. Don't make a way for politics in such heinous crime,” said Jha, reported ANI.

Counsel for victim's family of RG Kar rape, murder case, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya accused the West Bengal government of trying to influence witnesses in the case. " “She attempts to purchase the witnesses, that attempt was also made in this case,” Bhattacharya told ANI

Kolkata police arrested one person for disclosing the identity of the deceased doctor and also sharing stories with offensive comments against Mamata Banerjee, which the police claimed, posed life threats to her. The accused will be produced before a court, police told PTI.

The CBI has further grilled the ex R.G Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, on why he ordered a renovation at the crime scene. His WhatsApp chats are also being investigated by the probing agency.

Ghosh reached the CBI’s city office at CGO Complex today morning. He was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours, said an official.

Summoned TMC MP Sukhendu Roy moves Calcutta High Court, seeking protection from arrest. Roy had previously complained that the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal should also be arrested over the R.G Kar rape, murder case.

West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari slams Mamata Banerjee, and her chief advisor Alapan Bandopadhyay for saying that it is not right for women to do their duty at night. He said such a situation is shameful when “bills are passed to reserve seats for women in Parliament and Assembly.”

In a release, Pondicherry's Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute expressed its deepest concerns regarding the gruesome incident that took place at R.G Kar Medical College, and immediately demanded the implementation of Central Protection Act

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) suspects that the victim may have been killed elsewhere. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is behind the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital: Victim's lawyer

Communist Party MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya says that Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has a ‘fixed rate card’ for rape victims. He further went on to say that “Wherever there is rape she wants to immediately get into contact with the victim's family, pay them money and say everything is over.”

Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose said that he respected the deceased's mother's sentiments. He further said that “Bengal has failed its women. Not the society but the present government has failed its women folk. Bengal should be brought back to its pristine glory where women had a respectable place in society.”

The report documented over 14 injuries across the victim's head, face, neck, arms, and genitals and confirmed evidence of forceful penetration, indicating sexual assault. Read Here

The doctors' strike in the national capital over the rape and murder of the medic at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital had entered 7th day as non-emergency services, including OPD, remained paralysed.

A woman's organisation in North Siliguri held a torchlight protest march under the banner of "Loud and Clear" to condemn the rape, murder incident at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Congress leader Tariq Anwar says “It is the weakness of BJP and JP Nadda that whenever such an incident occurs, where solidarity is required, they try to gain political mileage.” He also mentioned that the culprits “should be nabbed quickly.”

Healthcare services remain affected at state-run hospitals in West Bengal, today, as junior doctors continue their cease-work protest. Heavy rush was seen at the out-patient departments twith senior doctors substituting for their juniors to handle the situation.

The parents of the deceased PG doctor urged all citizens to stand with them until all accused are caught. They also targeted Mamata Banerjee, saying that she had failed to tackle the case properly.

The deceased victim's parents said that there were three other bodies in the crematorium, but the victim's body was cremated first. The parents share other details from their daughter's life at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Read here.

Resident doctors of AIIMS and other Delhi Hospitals will be providing free OPD services on the road in front of the Health Ministry at Nirman Bhawan from 19th August, till we are assured of adequate security in hospitals through a Central Protection Act, stated the AIIMS resident doctor's association

There seems to be a divide within the ruling Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal over the handling of rape and murder case of the junior doctor in RG Medical College and Hospital. Read here

After the statements by the deceased PG doctor's parents, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla has called for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

According to a report by India Today, several colleagues of ex R.G Kar principle Sandip Ghosh said that he has been engaged in corrupt practices, including manipulation of tenders.