New Delhi: Protests are still going on in many parts of the country after the incident with a 31-year-old woman at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. At the same time, the West Bengal government is in the dock in front of the Supreme Court regarding the safety of doctors, where the apex court silenced the Bengal government with tough questions.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud fired question after question

As senior advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for the Bengal government, listed the steps taken by the state government to enhance security at hospitals during the hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud questioned why the hospital had contract workers and not regular policemen on security duty. The Chief Justice also pointed to the fact that Sanjoy Roy, accused in the rape-murder of the doctor, was a contract worker who had unhindered access to every corner of the hospital.

The Chief Justice asked whether the new security personnel deployed in the hospitals were policemen or contract workers on duty on behalf of the state government to ensure the safety of women health workers. Sibal replied that they were policemen and clarified that the contract workers on security duty was a short-term measure and they would be replaced by regular policemen.

Contract workers have access to the entire campus

The Chief Justice said that you know Kapil Sibal, what really happened. The accused was a contractual employee. If you are going to keep another group of contractual people. So these contractual people will be trained for seven days and then they will roam around in the hospital. What protection will the young doctors, especially women doctors, get with these contractual employees roaming around in the hospital at night?

"There is a feeling of insecurity among women doctors. They don't know who these people are," the Chief Justice said. Sibal replied that CISF personnel are currently deployed at RG Kar Medical College and junior doctors, who are on 'work off' protest, can join duty. "CISF will be there for a short time," the Chief Justice replied. Sibal said the state government will make arrangements by then.

Despite police post, FIR delayed

The Chief Justice told the state government that when you hand over security to contract employees, especially in hospitals, where people are on duty for 36 hours, there is a problem. There is virtually no security for women doctors. To this Sibal said that there is a police post in every hospital, to which the Chief Justice replied that despite the police post, the FIR was delayed.

When Sibal replied that if the court wanted, the state government would disband the ratirar sathi (people on night duty), the Chief Justice said it was not a question of the court's will, we are not in charge of governance. Sibal said the court should have some faith in the state machinery.

Young girls come to study medicine

The Chief Justice said young students come to government medical colleges to study medicine. He said these are young girls straight from class 12 who will be there for five years. We are dealing with young people in the age group of 18-23 years. They are particularly vulnerable and must be protected. He stressed that regular policemen should be deployed on duty in the 45 medical colleges of the state.