The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticized the ongoing investigation into the Kolkata rape and murder case, expressing serious concerns over the delay in filing the FIR. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud questioned the authorities about the timing of the autopsy, which was reportedly conducted between 1:00 pm and 4:45 pm, and why the FIR was only registered at 11:45 pm, hours after the autopsy had likely indicated the nature of the crime.
The CJI also raised questions on why the victim’s body was handed over to her parents at 8:30 pm, nearly three hours after the postmortem, while the FIR was filed only later that night. The bench also came down heavily on the police and hospital authorities, asking whether the state was unprepared to handle the mob violence that broke out during the midnight protests by doctors.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the progress of the investigation by Thursday, August 22. The West Bengal government was also asked to file a report regarding both the investigation and the mob violence.
CJI Chandrachud emphasized the challenges faced by medical professionals, noting, “Medical professionals face various forms of violence. They work round the clock under conditions that make them vulnerable.”
The Supreme Court was also informed that a case of unnatural death had initially been registered. The CJI expressed shock that even until late at night, no FIR was lodged labeling it as a clear case of murder.
In a significant development, the apex court announced the formation of a National Task Force (NTF) to address the safety of doctors across the country. “We want the CBI to file a status report on the investigation. We are setting up a national task force to recommend safety measures for senior and junior doctors nationwide,” said CJI Chandrachud. The court also questioned how authorities allowed the hospital to be vandalized during the protests.
The matter will be heard next on Thursday, August 22.