The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought details from the State of West Bengal regarding the qualification, deployment and remuneration of civic volunteers involved in the state’s institutions, including hospitals.
The Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra passed the directions while hearing the suo motu case tel in the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.
The Apex Court directed the Counsel appearing for the West Bengal government to provide information regarding the legal source of authority for hiring civic volunteers, the qualifications, the institutions in which they were assigned duties, and the payments made on a daily & monthly basis, along with the budget allocated for the same.
The affidavit, to be submitted by the next date of hearing, should mention the steps taken by the State of West Bengal to ensure that such civic volunteers were not posted in hospitals, schools, police stations, and sensitive places, it added.
The Bench specifically sought details regarding the selection process being followed for the deployment of civic volunteers.
Senior Advocate Karuna Nundy apprised the Bench that there were more than 1500 such volunteers, as of now.
The Court remarked that this was a nice way to confer political patronage on selected individuals.
Appearing for CBI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted a progress report on the National Task Force.
On a query regarding the progress between September 5 and October 15, 2024, the SG apprised the Court that the last meeting took place on September 9, wherein, around 7800 hospitals submitted details.
The Bench also perused the fifth status report filed by CBI.
It noted that on the basis of the investigation conducted by CBI, a charge sheet was submitted in the court of ACJM Sealdah on October 7, 2024, for offences under Sections 64, 66 of the BNS against accused Sanjay Roy.
The ACJM Sealdah would conduct hearing for consideration of charge on November 4, 2024, the Bench further noted.
It ordered the CBI to file a status report within three weeks on the aspect of alleged financial irregularities in the matter.