'Very Surprising': Supreme Court Slams West Bengal Over Timeline Of Police Action In Kolkata Doctor's Rape And Murder Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday (22 August) questioned the delay in police procedures in the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said, "The GD entry of death is recorded at 10:10 AM... the securing of the crime scene, the seizures etc was done at 11:30 at night? What was happening all by then?"

Justice J B Pardiwala, who is part of the three-judge bench hearing the matter, also questioned how post-mortem was done around 6-7 pm on 9 August but the case of unnatural death (UD) was filed at 11:20 pm.

"This is very surprising, post-mortem precedes registration of the UD!.. The entire procedure followed by your State is something which I have not come across in the 30 years of my....," Pardiwala remarked.

Kapil Sibal, representing the state of West Bengal, then explained that the UD was received and registered at 10:10 am but the investigating officer filed it at night after examining the crime scene.

The bench also urged to not go by the social media claims that 150 grams of semen was found inside the victim's body and said, "We have the actual autopsy report before us and we know what the 150 gm refers to."

In the previous hearing also, the court raised questions about the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and directed the formation of a National Task Force for safety of medical professionals.