Calcutta High Court Rejects Fast-Track Hearing For Junior Doctors’ Protest

The Calcutta High Court dismissed a plea on Friday seeking a fast-track hearing regarding the cease work agitation by junior doctors protesting the brutal rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in West Bengal.

The public interest litigation, filed on Thursday, sought an urgent hearing before the division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak. However, the bench rejected the plea and advised the petitioner to approach a vacation bench, as the Calcutta High Court will be on holiday due to the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.

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Raju Ghosh, director of a voluntary organization, submitted the petition. His counsel argued that despite a Supreme Court directive ordering the junior doctors to resume their duties, the protests continued, thereby violating the apex court’s order. The petitioner requested the Calcutta High Court to issue specific directions to the West Bengal government to end the junior doctors’ cease work protests.

The counsel emphasized that the ongoing protests were causing significant hardship to the general public, underscoring the need for a swift resolution. However, the division bench’s decision means the petitioner must now approach the vacation bench for further recourse.

In the meantime, junior doctors are expected to announce their next course of action later today. On Thursday, they held a meeting with senior colleagues, who advised them to continue protesting but to partially withdraw from the cease work agitation. The senior doctors left the final decision in the hands of the junior doctors.