The Supreme Court has called on doctors and medical professionals who are protesting the brutal rape and murder of a colleague at a hospital in Kolkata to return to work as soon as possible. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud assured that their concerns are receiving top attention from the Court.

“Since this court is seized of the matter pertaining to the safety and well-being of all medical professionals at their workplaces, and the issue involving high national priority, we will request all the doctors, who are abstaining from work, to resume work at the earliest,” the bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

The “horrific” rape and murder of a trainee postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital raises “systemic issue of safety of doctors across the country”, the top court said and ordered the setting up of a national task force to ensure safety of medical professionals in the country.

The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the case. During the hearing, it said, “We earnestly appeal to all the doctors that we are here to ensure that their safety and protection is the matter of highest national concern. We feel this is not now a matter of a particular offence but something which affects the institution of healthcare pan India.”

“We are deeply concerned with the fact that there is an absence of safe conditions of work for young doctors across the country, particularly, public hospitals,” CJI Chandrachud added.

The Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report within two days and asked the state government to report on the vandalism within the hospital.

It also instructed West Bengal Police to avoid targeting peaceful protesters from the medical community and civil society. “As long as protests are non-destructive, state power should not be used against them,” CJI Chandrachud said, referring to the current situation as a “time of national catharsis.”