The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the rape and murder of a doctor at a medical college and hospital in Kolkata. The court has asked the police to hand over all documents to the CBI immediately. The division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya has passed the order. The court was hearing a bunch of pleas including the parents of the victim. It has also placed Sandip Ghosh, former principal of the government medical college, on indefinite leave. Sandip Ghosh was reappointed as principal of National Medical College, Kolkata, by the state government yesterday after resigning from R.G. Kar Medical College.
Earlier, the High Court asked the state government to submit a status report on the investigation. The court also questioned the delay in recording the statement of the former principal and asked what the state government is doing to address the concerns of protesting doctors. The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations has announced the extension of its indefinite strike to protest after their meeting with officials from the Union Health Ministry failed to bring about any resolution. Resident doctors at government hospitals across the country went on an indefinite strike yesterday to protest the incident.
The Centre today assured the protesting doctors that it will take action against anyone connected with Kolkata’s doctor murder case and will also implement all necessary measures to address incidents of attacks on doctors. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda stated in New Delhi that delegations of doctors’ associations have met with him in the past two days and expressed their concerns over such incidents. Mr Nadda said that he is also concerned about these incidents and will take all possible measures to curb them. He also welcomed the Calcutta High Court’s decision to hand over the murder case to the CBI. The Minister questioned the West Bengal government over the incident, alleging that it tried to hush up the case, which he deemed condemnable.
