The Supreme Court of India will hear a suo motu petition on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, regarding the horrific rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata. The case is scheduled to be the first item on the court’s agenda, starting at 10:30 am. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra will preside over the hearing.
The petition was initiated following a series of letters addressed to the Chief Justice of India. Two lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court, Ujjawal Gaur and Rohit Pandey, and a doctor from Telangana, Dr. Monica Singh, expressed their concern over the incident and urged the court to take suo moto cognizance. They argued that the highest court must intervene with urgency and gravity to ensure justice for the victim.
The letter from the lawyers stated, “The nation looks to the judiciary as the ultimate guardian of justice, the last refuge for those whose cries have been silenced by brutality. The victim in this case, a young doctor whose life was dedicated to serving others, deserves nothing less than the full measure of justice that our legal system can provide. Her death must not be in vain, it must galvanise us to act, to ensure that no other woman suffers such a fate.”
The letter further emphasized the need for the judiciary to send a strong message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated and that the sanctity of life and the dignity of women must be fiercely protected.
Dr. Monica Singh’s letter, filed through her advocate Satyam Singh, also highlighted the series of attacks on medical professionals, particularly the incident at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The letter emphasized the need for immediate intervention to address the growing threat to medical staff and ensure their safety.
The letters highlighted the tragic rape and murder of the PG doctor at the Kolkata medical college on August 9, 2024, and subsequent attacks on the RG Kar Medical College on August 14, 2024. The attacks have severely disrupted hospital operations and created an atmosphere of fear among medical staff.
Both letters stressed the urgent need for the deployment of Central Forces to protect RG Kar Medical College and its staff. The Supreme Court’s hearing on Tuesday is expected to focus on the urgent need to address these concerns and ensure justice for the victim while also protecting the safety of medical professionals in the future.
