The Centre on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court with a plea to direct the Mamata Banerjee government to provide all cooperation, including the necessary security infrastructure and accommodation, to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel stationed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

If the state government fails to provide the necessary cooperation, the Union home ministry pleaded with the court to start contempt proceedings against the officials concerned for “wilful non-compliance” of the apex court orders on August 20 and 22.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had directed the CISF to take over security of the RG Kar premises, including hostels, following a vandalism by outsiders on the eve of Independence Day.

An affidavit filed by the home ministry through advocate A.K. Sharma states that despite repeated requests and the matter having been taken up at the level of the chief secretary and the director general of police, the Bengal government has not extended any cooperation to the CISF contingent at RG Kar.

According to the affidavit, issues such as lack of accommodation, including separate accommodation for female personnel, shortage of transport and inadequate security infrastructure/gadgets and measures to verify character and antecedents of hospital staff have been flagged with the state authorities.

“CISF also held meetings with the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, on two occasions and apprised him in detail about lack of accommodation, adequate administrative and operational infrastructure and severe difficulties being faced by CISF. IG…CISF also met the Chief Secretary, Health Secretary and DGP of W.B. to flag the issues pertaining to CISF deployment,” the affidavit says.

“CISF along with the Group Commandant, CISF Kolkata, also held a meeting with RG Kar Hospital Administration and Kolkata Police to highlight the minimum necessary requirements of CISF and requested for prompt augmentation of the security features and infrastructure at the Hospital premises. The Group Commandant… has also requested the Principal, RG Kar Hospital, to provide policy/standing dos and don’ts for the students/trainees… Nursing staff, hostels, employees, patients and visitors.”

The affidavit also says that the Union home ministry had taken up the matter with the chief secretary on September 2, requesting him for the logistic arrangements and the security gadgets that the CISF had sought.

“Thereafter, there has been no response from the State Government to ensure adequate support to the CISF personnel… deployed to ensure security of the residents/workers in the RG Kar… under the orders of this Hon’ble Court.

“…this non-cooperation is not expected from a State Government in a tense situation such as the present one. The safety of doctors and women doctors in particular, must be the top priority for the State of West Bengal… the inaction of the State of West Bengal, despite repeated requests, is symptomatic of a systemic malaise wherein such non-cooperation with Central Agencies operating under Court orders, is the norm.”

According to the home ministry, “such wilful non-compliance of the orders of this Hon’ble Court on the part of a State Government is not only contemptuous but it also goes against all the constitutional and moral principles which the State should abide by. It is submitted that such a course of action has been adopted by the State Government to willingly create hurdles and to jeopardise the larger solution-oriented approach adopted by this Hon’ble Court by way of initiating the present proceedings….”

Accordingly, the Centre has sought the following directions:

• To direct the Bengal government to extend full cooperation to the CISF and ensure full compliance, in letter and spirit, of the apex court orders on August 20 and 22.
• If the government fails to do that, contempt proceedings should be started against the officials/authorities concerned for wilful non-compliance of the orders.