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Kolkata Doctor Case Hearing: ‘Somebody Has Lost Their Life, Don’t At Least Laugh’, SG Tushar Mehta To WB Govt Counsel Kapil Sibal In SC 

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Kolkata Doctor Case Hearing: 'Somebody Has Lost Their Life, Don’t At Least Laugh', SG Tushar Mehta To WB Govt Counsel Kapil Sibal In SC

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, on Thursday reprimanded West Bengal govt counsel Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court during the hearing in the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder case and said: “Somebody has lost their life, do not at least laugh.”

This exchange between the two advocates took place when Sibal supposedly “laughed” while Mehta was pointing out the glaring gaps in registering the FIR by the police.

The CBI, on Thursday, submitted its status report to the Supreme Court on the progress of the investigation into the rape and murder of a woman doctor in state-run R.G Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, and the agency has found several missing links.

The apex court’s division bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing the matter.

The CBI in its status report said the crime scene was altered and the victim’s family was misled about their daughter’s death. The family was informed that their daughter died due to suicide. 

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBI also flagged the delay in the filing of the FIR. 

“The most shocking fact is that the first FIR was registered at 11:45 pm after cremation. The parents were told it was a suicide, then death and then friends of the doctor at the hospital insisted on videography. They also suspected something was amiss,” Mehta said to the bench led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandradhud.

The SC termed “extremely disturbing” the Kolkata Police’s delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

SC asks protesting doctors to resume work

It also asked protesting doctors to resume work and assured them that no adverse action would be taken after they rejoin.

Questioning the sequence and timing of legal formalities conducted by police, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said it was very surprising that the postmortem of the deceased was conducted on August 9 between 6.10 pm to 7.10 pm before the registration of case as unnatural death.

“How was it that the post-mortem was conducted at 6.10 pm on August 9 and yet the unnatural death information is sent to Tala police station at 11.30 pm on August 9. This is extremely disturbing,” the bench, also comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

SC asks Kolkata Police officer to appear in next hearing

It directed the Kolkata Police officer, who registered the first entry about the rape-murder that has shocked the country, to appear in the next hearing and disclose the time of the entry.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, told the top court that the most shocking fact is that the FIR was registered at 11.45 pm after the postgraduate medic was cremated.

“State police told parents it was suicide, then they said it was murder. Victim’s friend suspected cover up and insisted on videography,” Mehta told the bench.

As the hearing commenced, the top court asked protesting doctors to resume work, and assured them that no adverse action will be taken against them after they rejoin.

The apex court was told by the counsel for resident doctors at AIIMS Nagpur that they are being victimised for protesting over the Kolkata rape-murder case.

“Once they get back to duty, we will prevail upon authorities to not take adverse action. How will public health infrastructure run if the doctors do not work?” the bench asked.

“If there is difficulty after that, come to us. but let them first report to work,” it said.  The top court said its heart goes out to all patients visiting public hospitals.

It assured doctors’ associations that the National Task Force will hear all stakeholders.

The brutal assault and murder of the junior doctor has sparked nationwide protests. Her body was found with severe injury marks inside the seminar hall of the state-run hospital’s chest department. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day on August 10.

Maharashtra

Terror Attack On PM Modi’s Aircraft? Mumbai Police Receives Threat Call On Feb 11 Ahead of Prime Minister’s US Visit; 1 Arrested

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Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a terror attack threat ahead of his two-day US visit, Mumbai Police said on Wednesday. The police control received the threat call on Tuesday, February 11 as the PM was leaving on an official visit abroad. The person who made the call was arrested. As per the Mumbai Police, he is mentally ill.

“On 11th February, a call was received at Mumbai Police Control Room warning that terrorists may attack PM Modi’s aircraft as he was leaving on an official visit abroad. Considering the serious nature of the information, the Police informed other agencies and began an investigation, the police said in a statement.

The accused was arrested from Mumbai’s Chembur area. “The person who made the threat call to the Mumbai Police Control Room has been taken into custody from the Chembur area. He is mentally ill,” the police added.

Notably, PM Modi embarked on his visit to France and the United States on February 10. He co-chaired the AI Summit on Tuesday. The Prime Minister is set to depart for the US on Wednesday, February 12.

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National News

J&K: Two soldiers including captain killed in landmine explosion in Akhnoor sector

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Jammu, Feb 11: Two soldiers including an officer were killed on Tuesday in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast during patrolling near the Line of Control (LoC) fence in J&K’s Akhnoor sector.

A Defence Ministry Spokesman said that the suspected improvised explosive device blast was reported in Lalaeli in the Akhnoor sector during a fence patrol resulting in two fatalities.

“Troops are dominating the area and search operations are underway. White Knight Corps salutes and pays tribute to the supreme sacrifice by two gallant soldiers,” said the Spokesperson.

He added that a captain rank officer is also among the two martyred soldiers.

“It was not immediately known whether the IED had been planted by the terrorists or was it due to the accidental stepping on an anti-infiltration landline planted by the army close to the LoC fence that resulted in the tragedy,” he said.

The Spokesperson said that last week, five terrorists were killed in a landmine explosion when they tried to infiltrate into the Indian side of the LoC in Rajouri district.

“One of the infiltrating terrorists stepped on an anti-infiltration landmine in the area close to the LoC fence. The landmine had exploded killing all the five Pakistani terrorists,” he said.

He further added that in another incident last week in Poonch district, terrorists from across the LoC fired at the patrolling soldiers after which the alert soldiers returned the fire thereby thwarting another infiltration attempt.

He said that Patrolling by the army near the LoC and by the security forces in the hinterland has been further intensified after a top-level security review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week.

The Union Home Minister directed that the security forces should ensure zero infiltration and zero tolerance towards terrorists in J&K.

The Spokesperson said that there are reports that because of less snowfall this winter, all the infiltration routes of the terrorists are open and this has necessitated heightened vigil by the army deployed along the LoC.

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Instead of skilling, youth being pushed to become delivery persons: Akhilesh Yadav

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New Delhi, Feb 11: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said “Skill India Mission” is just a hollow slogan, claiming that in the name of skilled workers, the government has pushed the youth towards becoming delivery persons.

Opposing the Union Budget 2025-26 during a discussion in Lok Sabha, the Kannauj MP said there is an absence of appropriated environment for investment that is the only key for true “Vikas”.

Raising issues like the drop in the country’s position in the hunger index and cut in the education budget, Yadav said the government is dreaming of making India the food basket of the world but it will remain to be ‘jumlebazi’ (hollow slogan) unless it first feeds the hungry in the country.

“The hunger index figures are exposing the hollow progress being claimed by the government,” he said, hitting out at the lack of efforts to control price rise.

He also slammed the Budget for not proposing measures to remove poverty, provide good education and health services and create jobs.

“There is no road map for progress in the Budget,” he said, alleging concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, the widening of disparity in society, the infringement of tribals’ rights and the crying need for reforms in the financial sector.

“Asli traqi hai wohi jo har farq mitati hai, jo har tarf khushhali ke gul failati hai (True progress is the one which brings about all-around prosperity and removes disparity), ” he said.

“Real development is the one which diminishes disparity, and an ideal Budget is the one which is democratic and paves the way for overall development and empowers the last person in line,” he said.

Slamming the poor performance of the economy, he said the government’s claim that the Budget is focused on pushing up the rate of progress exposes the fact that the rate of growth has been sluggish over the past 11 years due to lack of investment.

Yadav also decried the dependence of the Indian stock market on foreign investors’ investments.

He said the BJP government’s latest Budget has nothing to offer for the development of the country or for the progress of people.

“There is no special assistance or reference to MSMEs in the Budget,” said Yadav, saying most of such units are not benefitting from its schemes as only a fraction of them were registered with the government.

He also called for special schemes for farmers and waiving their loans, providing them MSP while taking measures to protect crops from stray cattle.

He also sought measures to stop fake news, alleging that the government was busy highlighting its achievement but, in the process, ending up defaming the rivals.

Yadav described demonetisation and the introduction of GST as the biggest economic disasters in the country.

He also cited the case of a boy who was born while his mother was standing in a bank during demonetisation and urged the government to adopt him. “We had named him khazanchi (treasurer) and he has now grown up to cycle around,” he said.

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