New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the West Bengal government for its order regarding minimising night shifts for women. In the aftermath of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government had issued a notification asking the state-run hospitals to avoid alloting night shifts to women doctors.
Reacting to the same, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to amend the notification. "How can you say women cannot work at night? Why limit women doctors? They don't want a concession… Women are ready to work in the same shift," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.
The CJI asked the state counsel, Kapil Sibal, to address the issue. "It is your responsibility to provide security; you cannot restrict women from working at night. Pilots, army personnel, and others work during the nighttime hours," the CJI said.
"You can't say women can't work more than 12 hours or can't do night duty. Correct the notification..Pilots, women in the Army work more than 12 hrs," CJI Chandrachud asserted.
The court noted that the condition of women doctors not working at night would prejudice their careers. Sibal then responded that the clause in question would be deleted.
What happened in Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital?
The court's remarks came during the ongoing hearing in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case. A trainee doctor was raped and murdered in the morning hours of August 9 at the state-run RG Kar Hospital. She had gone to sleep in the seminar room of the hospital after a gruelling 36-hour shift.
The accused in the case, a civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy, has been arrested and the case has been handed over to the CBI. The CBI, which took over the probe following Calcutta High Court's order, arrested Tala Police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondol and former Principal of RG Kar Hospital Dr Sandip Goyal.
Mamata Agrees To 99% Demand of Doctors
Following a two-hour meeting between the doctors and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Monday evening, the state government agreed to three of five demands put forth by junior doctors which includes removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal from his post. Goyal has been transferred to Special Task Force as Additional Director General (ADG) and Manoj Kumar Verma has been appointed as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner.