New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday advised the lawyer representing the family of a trainee doctor, who was brutally raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year, to exercise caution while arguing an application challenging the investigation into the case.
The body of the 31-year-old doctor was discovered in a semi-naked state at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9, 2024. On January 20, the trial court sentenced Sanjoy Roy, the sole accused, to life imprisonment without remission.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna urged the counsel to tread carefully, stating, “Be a little careful. There’s already a conviction.” Senior advocate Karuna Nandy, appearing for the victim’s family, clarified that the application had been filed before the conviction order was issued.
Acknowledging this, the court suggested that a fresh application be filed to avoid legal ambiguities. “Your statements and averments in the application are significant and debatable. File a straightforward application, and we will consider it,” the Chief Justice remarked.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported the court’s stance, cautioning that the current plea might inadvertently benefit the accused and undermine the victim’s interests.
The bench further advised the counsel to decide whether the Supreme Court should continue hearing the matter or defer to the ongoing proceedings in the High Court. Following the court’s suggestion, the application was withdrawn with the liberty to file a fresh plea.
In a related issue, the Supreme Court clarified that protesting doctors, who resumed duties after its August 22, 2024, order, would have their absence regularized and not marked as unauthorized leave.
The court noted that its directive was intended to ensure the doctors’ service records remained intact. Institutions such as AIIMS Kalyani, AIIMS Gorakhpur, and PGI Chandigarh complied with the order, but some other institutes reportedly treated the protest period as leave. The court emphasized that no punitive actions should be taken against the doctors for their participation in the protests.
