Doctor murder: Cal HC adjourns hearing in PILs since SC seized of the matter

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned till September 4 the joint hearing of several PILs over the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and vandalism by miscreants at the institution since the Supreme Court is already seized of the matter.

Amid spiralling nationwide protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the hospital, the apex court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

The SC also asked the CBI and the West Bengal government to file status reports on August 22, on the progress of their separate investigations into the alleged rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the August 15 vandalism and violence there respectively.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said that since the Apex Court orders on the issue covered all issues which are before the high court, it was adjourning till September 4 the hearing of the 14 PILs before the high court in relation to the incidents at the state-run hospital in Kolkata.

The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, reiterated its request to all to refrain from disclosing the identity of the victim after a lawyer pointed out to the court that despite its directions in this regard in its earlier order on August 13, the name and photograph of the woman doctor were being circulated in the social media.

The high court had on August 13 ordered the transfer of the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from the Kolkata Police to the CBI.