The rape and murder of the doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital brought forth a rigorous judgment and sharply detailed instructions from the Supreme Court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the crime. The three-judge bench, which included the Chief Justice of India, said that the crime had shocked the conscience of the nation. Protest marches, vigils and cease-work by doctors are all signs of this shock. That the Supreme Court took the rare step of suo motu cognisance is another marker of the crime’s gravity. The court was unsparing in its questions to the West Bengal government, underlining the inconsistencies, failures and mismanagement that enveloped the tragedy. The delay in filing the first information report, for instance, the appointment of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital principal to an equivalent post just after his exit, the attempt to pass off the death as suicide and so on were all brought up. How the state’s attitude is being perceived was suggested by the fact that the court asked it not to unleash its power on peaceful protesters. The role of the police was questioned too, especially during the mob attack on the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital premises. Surprisingly, the police and the government were unprepared for vandalism even when the entire city was out in protest. It cannot be of comfort to the Kolkata Police that the Supreme Court ordered the Central Industrial Security Force to stand guard at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In its comprehensive set of instructions, the court set dates for a status report of the investigation as well as the final one from the Central Bureau of Investigation and a progress report of the investigation into the vandalism from the Bengal government. The Supreme Court not only set up a National Task Force to ensure the security of doctors, students, nurses and trainees in hospitals all over the country but also detailed the means to be used, from the useful placing of cameras, well-lit spaces, secure resting areas, to internal complaints committees and so on. The sweep of the ruling is countrywide. All states must submit a detailed report on the existing se­curity measures in hospitals to the Supreme Court within a month. Along with these steps, the apex court has also appealed to the protesting medics to resume their work at the earliest. The combination of sternness, compassion, the consideration of minutiae together with the scale of the ruling makes it an unforgettable judgment.