 "Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the doctors' protest was ‘definitely a conspiracy by the Centre and some Left parties' FILE PHOTO: REUTERS")
The Supreme Court on Monday directed West Bengal’s protesting doctors to resume work by 5pm on Tuesday, while expressing concern over the absence of a key document that was needed for the autopsy of the medic raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe it.
The apex court also flagged the at least a 14-hour delay by Kolkata Police in registering an FIR in the rape and murder of the doctor. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud directed the CBI to submit a fresh report by September 17 on the probe in the case.
The SC said no adverse action shall be taken against the protesting doctors on their resuming work. Earlier in the day, the Bengal government told the top court that 23 people have died as doctors are on strike protesting the rape and murder of the postgraduate medic. The next hearing on the matter is on September 17.
In Kolkata, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government continued to face sustained protests over administrative missteps in ensuring justice and allegations from the victim's parents.
On Sunday, former bureaucrat and Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha member Jawhar Sircar announced that he intended to quit his membership of the Upper House “and also from politics altogether”, citing the “faulty handling of the most spontaneous public movement”. He also flagged the “increasing strong-arm tactics” of a section of leaders in the Trinamool.
Days after the rape-murder incident on August 9, Trinamool’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Ray faced party backlash after publicly supporting the “Reclaim the Night” marches and calling for the CBI to question arrested former principal of the RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal.
More From This Section
 "Rashmi Saluja, chairperson, Religare")
 "Mpox, blood")
 "world bank experts with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan")
 "Modi, Narendra Modi")
 "Rameshwaram cafe blast, Bengaluru cafe blast")
The Bengal CM on Monday alleged that the protest is “definitely a conspiracy by the Centre and some Left parties are also involved in it”. “Some people are taking advantage of the turmoil in the neighbouring country (Bangladesh). They have forgotten that India and Bangladesh are separate nations," she said at an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna.
Banerjee also claimed she had never offered money to the deceased doctor's parents, dismissing a campaign that the family members of the victim were offered money. She urged people to "return to festivities" as Durga puja is round the corner.
The CM, who also takes care of the home department, said Kolkata Police Commissioner had offered to resign in the wake of the protests but "we need someone who knows law and order ahead of Durga puja".
Rejecting claims that the construction work near the seminar hall (where the doctor’s body was found) at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was intended to tamper with evidence, she clarified that it was done for “building retiring rooms and washrooms for doctors, not for obstructing the rape-murder probe”.
Banerjee emphasised that the absence of a retiring room had forced the deceased woman medic to rest in the seminar hall.
"There was no intention other than to build a retiring room there. Because there was no such room, the woman doctor had to go to the seminar hall to rest. We decided to build the retiring room-cum-washroom so that doctors do not have to rest in the seminar hall," she said.
"There are talks that evidence was tampered with to protect someone... But whom and why should we do that? Remember, nobody is our friend or foe. Law will take its course," she added.
 "Supreme Court, SC")
 "Protest, kolkata protest, Kolkata March, Howrah March")
 "Rain, Shimla Rains")
 "Doctor Protest, Protest, Kolkata Doctor Protest")
 "TMC supporters")
