The Supreme Court today ordered that the report prepared by the National Task Force (NTF) be made available to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, as well as other stakeholders, including doctors’ associations. The NTF was formed by the Union Government following the Supreme Court’s order in the aftermath of the ghastly rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in August this year.

The National Task Force has formulated recommendations in two categories: first, the prevention of violence against medical professionals and providing safe working conditions, and second, the prevention of sexual violence against doctors.

In a related development, a Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, refused to transfer the R.G. Kar rape and murder case outside West Bengal. The oral prayer made by a lawyer was turned down by the bench. The bench remarked that while the court had transferred cases of gender violence in Manipur, it would not take such action in this case.
The bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, set the date for the commencement of the trial at a special court in Kolkata from the 11th of this month. It said that the trial would begin after charges are framed against Sanjay Roy, the sole prime accused in the case. The Court also asked the CBI to file a fresh status report before the next date of listing