New Delhi:

The Supreme Court will today hear the case related to the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will oversee the proceedings.

On Sunday night, thousands gathered in Kolkata and across the globe, demanding justice for the victim. These demonstrations were part of a larger wave of protests, organised under the banner of “Reclaim the Night,” a movement calling for safety and justice for women in public spaces.

Supreme Court’s Earlier Hearing

The Supreme Court on August 20 termed the incident “horrific” and took additional measures to address safety concerns within the healthcare sector. The court issued several directives, including the formation of a 10-member National Task Force to develop protocols for ensuring the safety of doctors and healthcare workers across the country.

The court called upon protesting doctors who had been striking in solidarity with the victim to return to work, stating that “justice and medicine cannot be stopped.” 

The case initially faced delays, with the Supreme Court, during its hearing on August 22, criticising the Kolkata Police for their sluggish handling of the investigation. It was not until August 13 that the Calcutta High Court intervened, transferring the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI began its probe the following day, August 14.

The victim’s body was discovered in a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9, bearing severe injuries. A civic volunteer was arrested the next day in connection with the crime, but the investigation has since widened, resulting in the arrest of the college’s former principal as well.

Protests Worldwide 

From the streets of Kolkata to the cities of Europe, Asia, and the United States, the global Indian community rallied for justice Sunday night. Over 130 protests took place in 25 countries, including major cities like Stockholm, Sydney, and New York. Protesters – many clad in black -held vigils, sang in Bengali, and chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim.

The streets of Kolkata were transformed into protest sites as men and women, young and old, took to the streets to demand justice. From forming human chains to holding burning torches, protesters expressed their anger and sorrow for the victim, who they symbolically named “Tilottama” or “Abhaya.” 

“Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve society. Now, all these protesters are my children,” the victim’s mother said at a rally in Kolkata, as quoted by news agency PTI.

A 14-kilometre-long human chain stretching from Shyambazar in North Kolkata to the suburb of Sodepur was also organised. Thousands of citizens, including rival football fans from East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting, stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their call for justice.

Centre vs State 

Amid the protests, a political clash has emerged between the Centre and the West Bengal government, with the former accusing the state of “unpardonable” non-cooperation in extending logistical support to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which was tasked with providing security at RG Kar Medical College. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in its application to the Supreme Court, has called the lack of cooperation from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government “symptomatic of a systemic malaise.”

The Centre has urged the top court to direct the West Bengal government to fully cooperate with the CISF, failing which it has requested contempt proceedings against the officials responsible for non-compliance
 

New Delhi:

BJP President JP Nadda launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over ‘vote bank politics’ and said that the former is compromising with the nation for her vote bank.

JP Nadda accused Mamata Banerjee of providing shelter to infiltrators and giving them ID cards and ration cards, making them voters, and called such actions “anti-national”.

Answering the ways to stop violence in West Bengal, Mr Nadda said, “Law and order is a state subject, we (the centre) can support them but Mamata Banerjee’s intentions are not clear. Her intention is dubious.”

In an interview with news agency ANI, the BJP President slammed the West Bengal chief minister over the alleged Sandeshkhali incident and raised questions about her silence.

“She was silent on the case of Sheikh Shahjahan, the High Court had to give the enquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Women were shouting and you even didn’t bother,” he said.

Asked about the allegations of Mamata Banerjee that the Sandeshkhali incident was a conspiracy of the BJP, Mr Nadda said, “Dishonest administrator, dishonest politician. If I’m the chief minister and a case like this comes to me, I’ll say that I’ll investigate into this. I’ll go into the details of it. Why was she quiet at first and later she blamed the BJP.”

“She compromised with the nation for the sake of a vote bank. TMC is providing shelter to infiltrators and giving them ID cards and ration cards, making them voters, this is anti-national activities. They also give protection to such people,” Mr Nadda added.

Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district, started hitting the headlines in February this year when villagers, mostly women, came out on the streets against the ruling TMC and Shahjahan (the main accused in the incident).

Women accused Shahjahan and his aides of perpetrating atrocities on them along with gobbling up their land. Multiple women on the island accused Shajahan and his aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.

Meanwhile, the BJP President further accused Mamata Banerjee of “spreading information” regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act and said, “She is spreading misinformation about CAA. She’s doing anti-national things. CAA will not be given to someone who is coming from outside. Doesn’t Mamata understand this, is she so illiterate? No. She understands everything. But she is trying to misguide the innocent people.”

Speaking on why Mamata Banerjee left the INDIA alliance, Mr Nadda said, “I can’t speak about her thought process but her actions don’t suggest that she has a stable mind. She always stays unstable.”
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)