The Calcutta high court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The court directed the city police to hand over the case diary to the central probe agency by this evening, and all other documents by 10 am on Wednesday.
The body of the postgraduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the state-run hospital, was found on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested in this connection on Saturday.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam also urged agitating doctors in the state to call off their ceasework, maintaining that there is a "pious obligation" on their part to treat patients who come to government hospitals.
Junior doctors and interns across West Bengal continued their ceasework on Tuesday, protesting against the incident and demanding adequate protection to hospital staff.
The bench said it is truly appreciative of the feelings vented by the doctors and interns over the incident.
Passing the order, the court said even after five days, no significant progress had been made in the investigation into the case by the Kolkata Police.
The state's counsel submitted that one person has been arrested and statements of more than 25 people have been recorded.
He also claimed that the probe was being carried out in an appropriate manner.
The bench observed it was disheartening to note that the then principal of the medical college, Sandip Ghosh, was not proactive.
Ghosh has been asked to go on a long leave by the court.
The court also expressed surprise that within the shortest possible time, he was reinstated as principal of another medical college in the city after he tendered his resignation on Monday.
The case will be heard again after three weeks, when the CBI will submit its progress report.
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NHRC notice to West Bengal govt, state police chief
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the West Bengal government and the state's police chief in connection with a case of rape and murder of the woman doctor.
The Commission on Tuesday said it has sought the reports from these authorities in two weeks.
The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that the junior woman doctor was found dead at the seminar hall of Kolkata's state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, it said in a statement.
'Reportedly, the body of the deceased bore scratch marks, indicating that there was some struggle at the time of the incident. The family has reportedly alleged that the victim was raped and murdered,' the rights panel said.
The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim.
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police, West Bengal, seeking a detailed report in two weeks, it said.
The report is expected to include the present status of the investigation being conducted by the police and action taken against persons responsible, as well as compensation if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased, the statement said.
The Commission said it would also like to know about the steps take or proposed by the authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
