The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a fresh status report on the investigation into the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College.
The direction came after the CBI presented an initial report indicating significant leads in the ongoing probe.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, while hearing the matter, said, "The status report has been filed by CBI, it appears that investigation is in progress. We direct the CBI to file a fresh status report... we will take it up on Tuesday... CBI is doing it, we don't want to guide CBI on its investigation."
The bench also comprises Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court sought clarification regarding the timing of the "unnatural death" report filed in connection with the case.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal pointed out discrepancies in the timings, stating that the death certificate for the trainee doctor was issued at 1:47 p.m., while the police registered the "unnatural death" entry at 2:55 p.m.
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contested this, arguing that according to the records, the report was filed at 11:30 p.m.
The CBI's status report, submitted to the bench in a sealed envelope, was reviewed by the judges at the start of the hearing. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the case, with Chief Justice Chandrachud earlier terming the incident "horrific."
On August 20, the Supreme Court issued a series of directions, including the formation of a 10-member National Task Force to establish a protocol for the safety and security of doctors and healthcare professionals across the country.
This was in response to the gruesome murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, who was raped and killed inside a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. A civil volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime, which has triggered widespread protests that continue to rock Kolkata.
The Supreme Court's scrutiny of the investigation intensified following reports of delays in filing the "unnatural death" report. On August 22, the court admonished the Kolkata Police for the delay and urged protesting doctors to resume work, stating that "justice and medicine" must not be halted.
The case, initially investigated by the Kolkata Police, was transferred to the CBI following an order from the Calcutta High Court. As the investigation unfolded, the central government approached the Supreme Court on September 3, alleging inadequate arrangements for Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at RG Kar Hospital.
The Centre described this as an "unpardonable" act of non-cooperation by the Mamata Banerjee government.
It sought a direction from the apex court to instruct state authorities to fully cooperate with the CISF and even urged the initiation of contempt proceedings against state officials for "wilful non-compliance" if the order is not adhered to.
Meanwhile, the public outcry over the incident continues to escalate. Thousands of protesters, including women, men, young, and elderly, took to the streets of Kolkata on Sunday night, demanding justice for the slain doctor.
Demonstrators formed human chains, wrote graffiti on the roads, held burning torches, and sang the national anthem while waving the tricolour.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal also informed the court that 23 people had died due to a doctors' strike in the wake of the incident. He mentioned that the state health department had submitted a report on these deaths.
Despite the unrest, the Supreme Court reiterated the need for maintaining both "justice and medicine," underlining the urgency for a resolution in this case.
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