SC commences hearing on plea related to rape-murder case of doctor in Kolkata

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday commenced hearing a suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is hearing the matter.

On August 22, the apex court had tore into the Kolkata Police over the delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor, who was raped and killed at the RG Kar Hospital, calling it "extremely disturbing", and questioned the sequence of events and the timing of its procedural formalities.

The top court had earlier constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals.

Terming the incident as "horrific", the apex court had excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of people to vandalise the state-run facility.

The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests.

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

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.