Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: SC takes suo motu cognizance; hearing on August 20

Autopsy reports confirmed that the victim had been raped and strangled, with multiple injuries suggesting a violent struggle.

The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognizance of the shocking rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The case will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Tuesday.

The decision to intervene came after two Supreme Court lawyers, Advocates Ujjawal Gaur and Rohit Pandey, penned a letter to the CJI on Thursday, urging him to take immediate action in the case. In their letter, the advocates emphasized the urgent need for the highest court in the country to step in, given the gravity and seriousness of the incident.

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The horrific crime, which has sent shockwaves across the nation, involved a post-graduate trainee doctor whose body was discovered in a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Autopsy reports confirmed that the victim had been raped and strangled, with multiple injuries suggesting a violent struggle. The police swiftly arrested a civic volunteer from the Kolkata Police as the prime suspect, with DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

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The heinous act has sparked widespread outrage, leading the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to announce a 24-hour withdrawal of non-essential medical services across India, beginning on August 17. Protests have erupted nationwide, with healthcare workers demanding enhanced security measures.

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In response to the gravity of the situation, both the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have launched independent inquiries into the incident.