New Delhi: West Bengal government’s move to appoint civic volunteers in the state’s institutions, including hospitals, has come under scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which Tuesday asked the Mamata Banerjee-led administration to provide detailed information about such appointments.
“This is a nice way to confer political patronage on selected individuals. Let the state of West Bengal first give us the data on the next hearing,” a bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud told state counsel, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi. The bench was hearing a suo-motu cognizance case in connection with the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case when it asked Dwivedi to provide all information regarding the hiring of civic volunteers.
The court’s concern stemmed from the fact that the prime accused in the case—which led to widespread protests and outrage in Kolkata—Sanjay Arora, is a civic volunteer who was assigned to the government-run RG Kar hospital.
The CBI has already filed its chargesheet naming Arora as the main accused in the case.
The bench, which scrutinised the progress of investigation in the case and the security measures that have been implemented in the hospital, told Dwivedi, “Next time we want the information about the legal source of authority for hiring civic volunteers; the qualifications (of those nominated); the institutions in which they are assigned duties and the payments made on a daily and monthly basis, and the budget.”
It said an affidavit with all these details, apart from the steps that have been taken to ensure that such civic volunteers are not posted in sensitive institutions such as hospitals, schools, police stations etc, should also be submitted to the court.
“The affidavit shall specifically disclose the selection process being followed,” added the court, which decided to look deeper into the role of civic volunteers in West Bengal after senior advocate Karun Nundy claimed there were more than 1,500 such volunteers working in the state.
Nundy was arguing on an application that was filed in the court on behalf of Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal—a body representing senior doctors working in the state—that complained against the continuation of the “Rattirer Sathi Scheme”, despite a civic volunteer being the principal accused in the RG Kar incident.
“By refusing to revoke the Rattirer Saathi scheme, where civic volunteers are engaged for the purpose of law and order, and security, the state of West Bengal continues to act in derogation of this honourable court’s orders passed from time to time,” the application added.
It further said that through the scheme, the West Bengal government is “continuing to reinforce the threat culture being practiced” through its proxies. The scheme, the application added, is on even as the court had, in September, disapproved of it.
Also read: Why CBI has ‘almost’ ruled out gangrape in RG Kar case
State accused of exercising political control over institutions
Instead of paying heed to the doctors’ discomfort over Rattirer Saathi scheme, and the court’s view against it, the state issued another order to hire more personnel under the same scheme, for providing security personnel at health facilities.
This order, issued on 17 September, 2024, outsources state’s law and order functions that is in teeth of a 2011 SC judgment that deprecated the then Chhattisgarh government’s move to train and provide arms to citizens to fight against Maoists in the region.
Accusing the state government of exercising political, unlawful control over institutions, the association of doctors alleged that the individuals deployed are those who are sympathetic towards the ruling dispensation, including senior doctors, who have “perpetuated the threat culture” to ensure compliance of the medical community with the “diktats of the ruling dispensation.”
Earlier, the court had taken note of the progress made by the National Task Force (NTF), constituted to design a standard operating procedure (SoP) for providing a safe and secure work environment in hospitals. Appearing for the force, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, “They are working with utmost seriousness.”
After perusing the CBI’s status report, the bench ordered: “On the basis of the investigation conducted, a chargesheet has been submitted on October 7, 2024, for offences under sections 64, 66 of the BNS against accused Sanjay Roy.”
The bench also observed that a court in Sealdah had already taken cognizance of the chargesheet and hearing for consideration of charge has been fixed.
On the aspect of alleged financial irregularities, the court noted that investigation is to continue and it would be apprised about the status within three weeks.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Why CBI sought extended custody of Sandip Ghosh & Kolkata cop in RG Kar case