Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder: Doctors Reject Court's 'Back To Work' Order, Cite Protest As 'People's Movement'

Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Junior doctors of Kolkata on Monday evening announced that their protest against the heinous rape and murder of a young doctor at RG Kar Hospital would continue till justice is delivered. Their decision came just hours after the Supreme Court set a deadline for them to return to work by 5 pm Tuesday.

It is a people's movement, the protest, and that is something that should not be forgotten by the government and the Supreme Court, said the doctors.

Kolkata Doctors Expressed Their Dissatisfaction

RG Kar Hospital, the center of the strike, junior doctors' representative said, "We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court hearing. The case has been shifted from High Court to Supreme Court and from state police to CBI but justice remains elusive."

Doctors, on the other hand, accused the state government of lying before the Supreme Court by saying it was a lie that the healthcare system had collapsed. To this, the state health department, in its affidavit, said 23 people died due to the strike of the doctors.

Earlier, the Bengal branch of the Indian Medical Association said whatever the junior doctors decided would be supported.

"We expected justice on our petition for the cruelty of the crime, but are quite disheartened by the court and CBI processes. No move is yet done with regard to quick justice trial. It's also surprising that junior doctors' names are being fabricated over some hospital deaths when, in fact, no service at hospitals is completely crippled due to the protest," the statement said.

Junior doctors have been on a 'cease work' at state-run hospitals for almost a month.

SC Orders Doctors To Return To Work

During the hearing of the case earlier on Monday, the top court had said the protesting doctors should join work by Tuesday evening.

"To instill a sense of confidence, we say that in case doctors report to work by 5 PM tomorrow, no adverse action will be taken. If there continues to be abstention from work despite the facilities given, there will be a likelihood of action in future," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had said.

Also Read: Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: 23 Patients Died During Doctor’s Strike, Mamata Govt Informs Supreme Court