During the Supreme Court hearing of the suo motu cognisance rape-murder case of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical and Hospital, Kolkata, today, Tuesday, September 17, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising called the bench's attention to the lack of confidence among the protesting doctors to resume work.
Jaising was representing the junior doctors, while Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal was appearing for the Government of West Bengal. The bench was led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra.
"I want the confidence to be built between the state and the junior doctors. I want them to go back to work," Jaising said, while Sibal insisted that the cease work must stop. Further Jaising stressed that, "the junior doctors are not returning to work is because they believe that some involved [in an alleged coverup] still work at the RG Kar Medical College."
Replying to the argument made by Jaising, Sibal said, "The CM has given an assurance. What more do they want? No punitive action would be taken against the junior doctors."
Additionally, there was a positive outcome from the meeting that transpired on September 17 night between the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) and Chief Minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee, where a majority of the doctors' demands were agreed to by the CM.
Following this, before concluding the arguments, the CJI said, "We are not modifying our last order, we have created conditions for them to come back to work. Recorded their assurance, let them now do whatever they have to do for that assurance and come back to work."
