The Supreme Court docket on Tuesday whereas listening to the suo moto case within the rape and homicide of a postgraduate trainee physician at R.G. Kar Medical Faculty & Hospital, Kolkata, and directed the West Bengal authorities to supply detailed data on the authorized foundation, {qualifications}, deployment, and remuneration of civic volunteers concerned within the state’s establishments, together with hospitals.
The highest court docket directed the West Bengal authorities to provide particulars of recruitment technique of Ratire Sathi scheme.
“It’s a good technique of conferring political patronage on unverified individuals,” CJI Chandrachud remarked whereas listening to the contentions of attorneys elevating the difficulty of Ratire Sathi scheme.
The highest court docket sought full particulars of the scheme together with the recruitment technique of civic volunteers, modalities of recruitment, antecedent verification and the establishments the place they might be recruited.
A bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed the West Bengal state authorities to furnish all particulars by subsequent listening to. The counsel showing for the West Bengal authorities informed the court docket that these civic volunteers should not doing police duties however different events countered it.
Vrinda Grover, the Counsel showing for fogeys of deceased physician informed the court docket that even the prime accused was a civic volunteer and was connected with police deployed at RG Kar hospital and was staying in police barracks.
Senior Advocate Karuna Nundy, showing for a medical doctors’ affiliation, raised concern in regards to the ‘Ratire Sathi’ initiative and stated that giving police powers to civilians was disapproved of by the Supreme Court docket within the Nandini Sundar case (Salwa Judum matter). She added that over 1500 such volunteers at the moment are working within the state of West Bengal now.
The Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra directed West Bengal’s counsel Rakesh Dwivedi, to furnish the next data: “(i) The authorized supply of authority for hiring civic volunteers; (ii) The {qualifications}; (iii) The establishments through which they’re assigned duties; (iv) The funds made on a day by day and month-to-month foundation and the finances.”