PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court resumed its hearing on Thursday regarding the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. During the proceedings, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud dismissed the so-called "151-gm semen" theory as unfounded and criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel for relying on social media speculation rather than substantive evidence in court arguments.
Chief Justice Chandrachud also addressed the ongoing protests by doctors, urging them to return to their duties and assured them that no adverse action would be taken against them. The three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice, also includes Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
In its status report presented to the Supreme Court, the CBI highlighted several critical issues. The report indicated that the crime scene had been tampered with and that the victim’s family was misled into believing her death was a suicide. The CBI's investigation has thus far identified a single suspect, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, who was arrested shortly after the trainee doctor's semi-naked body was discovered in the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital on August 9.
The ongoing investigation and legal proceedings are drawing significant attention as the case continues to unfold.
HERE ARE THE TOP QUOTES OF THE SUPREME COURT:
- "We have the actual autopsy report and understand what the 150 grams refers to. Please refrain from using social media to support your arguments."
- "Let all the doctors return to work. We will issue a general order ensuring that no adverse actions will be taken once they resume their duties. The public administrative structure cannot function properly if they don't come back."
- "The National Task Force will hear from all representatives. We will emphasize this in our order. Our concern extends to everyone in public hospitals. We will ensure that resident doctors are heard and that their concerns and input are given serious consideration."
- "Including representatives from all stakeholders in the committee could disrupt its work. The committee already includes senior women doctors who have dedicated their lives to public health. It will hear from everyone involved—interns, residents, senior residents, nurses, and paramedical staff—to ensure all voices are heard."
- "Please reassure the doctors that we are aware of their grueling 36-hour shifts. I have personally experienced the conditions in public hospitals when a family member was ill and had to sleep on the floor."
- "After nearly 48 hours of duty, you are neither physically nor mentally capable of resisting if you are subjected to harassment. I'm not even addressing the more serious crimes."
- "One disturbing aspect is the general diary entry of the death recorded at 10:10 am, while the crime scene securing and seizures were only completed at 11:30 pm. What was happening during that time?"
- "The procedures followed by your state are unprecedented in my 30 years of experience. Firstly, is it true that the unnatural death was recorded at 10:30 AM? Secondly, the conduct of the non-medical assistant superintendent is highly questionable. Why did she act in that manner?"
- "Ensure that a responsible police officer is present. We still haven't received an answer about when the unnatural death case was registered."
- "If the report shows that after the return to the police station and the body was handed over to the mother, and GD 861 was recorded at night, why does the inquest report refer to the unnatural death as occurring earlier?"
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- With inputs from agencies
