New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Tuesday a case it initiated on its own following the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, amid ongoing protests by doctors in West Bengal.
The hearing assumes importance as resident doctors continue their strike despite the high court's directive to resume work at 5 p.m. on September 10 to avoid punitive action by the state government which had claimed that his absence from work had led to the deaths of 23 patients up to September 9, the day the case was last heard.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Monday invited the protesting junior doctors to meet "for the fifth and last time" to break the deadlock, two days after dialogue between the government and them failed to take off due to disagreements. in the live broadcast of the proposed meeting.
In an email to the protesting junior doctors, state chief secretary Manoj Pant asked them to reach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kalighat by 5 pm. Monday for talks.
Banerjee visited the protest site on September 14 and extended an olive branch to the agitated doctors and invited them for talks that are yet to bear fruit despite trying to assure them that their demands will be met.
The proposed meeting on Saturday collapsed as protesters claimed they were asked to leave "unceremoniously" after waiting for three hours outside the CM's residence. The doctors refused to enter Banerjee's residence due to the government's rejection of their demand for a live telecast.
According to the apex court's website, the suo-motu case is listed as the first matter on Tuesday before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Amid relentless protest by young doctors and massive public outrage, the CJI-led court had on September 9 expressed concern over the absence of the 'challan', a key document forwarding the body of the young doctor, who was raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, for autopsy, based on the records presented before him and sought a report from the West Bengal government.
He had also ordered the protesting resident doctors to resume work to avoid adverse action by the state government.
The high court's direction followed an assurance by lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the state government, that no action, including punitive transfers, would be taken against the protesting doctors if they resumed work.
Tuesday's Supreme Court proceedings will be closely watched due to non-compliance with its instructions.
On August 22, the high court slammed the Kolkata police for the delay in registering an unnatural death case after the doctor's body was found in the hospital, calling it "extremely disturbing". He also questioned the time needed to complete the necessary procedural steps.
As street protests broke out in Kolkata and many towns and cities across the country, the top court had constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol to ensure the safety of doctors and other health professionals.
Terming the incident "horrible", the high court had criticized the state government for delay in lodging the FIR and allowing thousands of people to vandalize state facilities.
The doctor's body with serious injury marks was found inside the seminar room of the chest department of the hospital on August 9.
A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the case the next day.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Calcutta police to the CBI, which began its investigation on August 14.
The hearing assumes importance as resident doctors continue their strike despite the high court's directive to resume work at 5 p.m. on September 10 to avoid punitive action by the state government which had claimed that his absence from work had led to the deaths of 23 patients up to September 9, the day the case was last heard.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Monday invited the protesting junior doctors to meet "for the fifth and last time" to break the deadlock, two days after dialogue between the government and them failed to take off due to disagreements. in the live broadcast of the proposed meeting.
In an email to the protesting junior doctors, state chief secretary Manoj Pant asked them to reach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kalighat by 5 pm. Monday for talks.
Banerjee visited the protest site on September 14 and extended an olive branch to the agitated doctors and invited them for talks that are yet to bear fruit despite trying to assure them that their demands will be met.
The proposed meeting on Saturday collapsed as protesters claimed they were asked to leave "unceremoniously" after waiting for three hours outside the CM's residence. The doctors refused to enter Banerjee's residence due to the government's rejection of their demand for a live telecast.
According to the apex court's website, the suo-motu case is listed as the first matter on Tuesday before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Amid relentless protest by young doctors and massive public outrage, the CJI-led court had on September 9 expressed concern over the absence of the 'challan', a key document forwarding the body of the young doctor, who was raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, for autopsy, based on the records presented before him and sought a report from the West Bengal government.
He had also ordered the protesting resident doctors to resume work to avoid adverse action by the state government.
The high court's direction followed an assurance by lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the state government, that no action, including punitive transfers, would be taken against the protesting doctors if they resumed work.
Tuesday's Supreme Court proceedings will be closely watched due to non-compliance with its instructions.
On August 22, the high court slammed the Kolkata police for the delay in registering an unnatural death case after the doctor's body was found in the hospital, calling it "extremely disturbing". He also questioned the time needed to complete the necessary procedural steps.
As street protests broke out in Kolkata and many towns and cities across the country, the top court had constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol to ensure the safety of doctors and other health professionals.
Terming the incident "horrible", the high court had criticized the state government for delay in lodging the FIR and allowing thousands of people to vandalize state facilities.
The doctor's body with serious injury marks was found inside the seminar room of the chest department of the hospital on August 9.
A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the case the next day.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Calcutta police to the CBI, which began its investigation on August 14.
