NEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Askume) – India’s top court ordered all doctors protesting the rape and murder of a female medical staff member last month to return to work by Tuesday, warning that if they failed to meet the deadline they could face “adverse action.”
Hundreds of doctors across the country have gone on strike demanding justice for the woman . Birth.
A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime, and federal police said last week that the college’s former principal had also been arrested on suspicion of corruption .
Doctors have also demanded better facilities in government hospitals, saying they lack basic amenities like security and rest spaces for staff .
The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not take any adverse action against doctors who returned to work late on Tuesday night.
“Resident doctors cannot ignore the needs of the larger community they have to serve,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud of the three-judge court said.
The court also directed the West Bengal government to take steps to assure the doctors that their concerns were addressed, including by providing separate duty rooms and toilets for male and female personnel and installation of CCTV cameras.
Protests over the attack spread beyond India’s borders over the weekend, with thousands of expatriate Indians protesting in more than 130 cities across 25 countries, including Japan, Australia, Europe and the United States.
The court took the matter into its own hands after being outraged by the incident and had earlier constituted a hospital safety task force to recommend measures to ensure the safety of medical staff .
Women’s rights activists said the incident highlighted the sexual violence that women continue to face in India despite tough laws following the gang-rape and murder of a woman on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012 .
