'Return To Work, No Adverse Action Will Be Taken': Supreme Court To Protesting Doctors Over RG Kar Rape And Murder Case

The Supreme Court today (9 September) urged the protesting doctors to report to work by 5 pm tomorrow as West Bengal government's counsel Kapil Sibal requested the court to indicate proceedings would be initiated against them.

The court was hearing the RG Kar Medical College case where Sibal argued that 23 people have died and 6,000 were affected since doctors were not coming to work protesting over the trainee doctor's rape and murder.

"We can record that if doctors resume to work, no adverse action but if they do not resume work as doctors then we cannot restrain state government from taking actions," Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said.

The CJI also urged the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government to take steps to create a degree of confidence in the minds of the doctors that concerns regarding their safety and duly be catered to.

"The police shall ensure that necessary conditions are created for ensuring the safety of all doctors (including provisions for separate duty rooms; toilet facilities; installation of CCTV cameras," Chandrachud added.

The CJI-led bench asked the Banerjee government to file an affidavit indicating that funds have been sanctioned for carrying out the safety measures and gave District Collectors the responsibility to monitor their usage.

"We want to ensure that doctors resume work, they are in a system to render service, we will provide facilities but they have to reciprocate," the CJI said assuring that no punitive action will be taken against doctors who resume work.