The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition that sought dismissal of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the light of the brutal rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra took strong exception to the application and warned the concerned lawyer that if he continued to treat it as a political platform, he would be removed from the Court.
Noting that this was not a political forum, the Apex Court said it did not require the lawyer’s affirmation to say something. Whatever the lawyer said had to abide by the rules of legal discipline, said the Bench, adding that it was not interested to know what the lawyer felt about a political functionary.
The top court of the country made the observations while hearing a suo motu case regarding the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor at the State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
The Bench today expressed concerns regarding the slow pace at which security measures were being implemented in the medical colleges/ hospitals in the State.
Noting that several young girls, who were just out of 12th standard, were joining 45 medical colleges in the state, the Apex Court directed the State to deploy police force in these 45 colleges. It further noted that out of 415 additional CCTV cameras sanctioned, only 36 were installed.
Appearing for the State of West Bengal, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal assured that the same would be completed in two weeks.
The Bench then passed directions to ensure that the infrastructure and safety measures in medical colleges were upgraded.
The Court recorded in its order that the affidavit filed by the State of West Bengal on behalf of the State Health department has mentioned that steps were being taken to upgrade duty rooms, rest rooms, toilet facilities, availability of CCTV cameras in government medical colleges and hospitals across the State. The affidavit indicated that sanction has been granted to create additional infrastructure for safety, it noted.
The Apex Court directed that a consultative process should be followed for upgrading the infrastructure & safety measures.
The process should include the Collectors, DMs of each district, Superintendents of Police, Principals from the concerned colleges/hospitals, along with the representatives of senior and junior doctors, said the Court, while ordering the State to complete the works in two weeks.