Kolkata: Acclaimed lawyer and social activist Indira Jaising will represent the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), the state’s umbrella organisation of junior doctors protesting against the heinous rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month, at the Supreme Court hearing on September 17.
Until now, WBJDF was represented by Geeta Luthra, a prominent attorney at the Supreme Court.
According to sources familiar with the development, Jaising has already obtained Luthra’s consent to represent the junior doctors.
On the other hand, the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, an association of senior doctors in the state who are extending support to the ongoing protest movement by the junior doctors in the rape and murder case, will be represented by senior counsel Karuna Nandi and Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay. Their role is crucial in providing legal and moral support to the junior doctors.
Conforming as the counsel for WBJDF, junior doctor and the face of the movement, Aniket Mahato said that she will be representing the forum during the Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday.
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Indira Jaising, a left-leaning veteran lawyer, is considered the key person behind the current practice of live-streaming of the Supreme Court proceedings. Her role in this significant development is crucial and keeps the public informed and aware.
Based on Jaising’s application, a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud approved live streaming of the apex court’s proceedings. This decision is significant as it allows the public to follow the case closely and ensures transparency in the legal process.
Political observers feel that Jaising’s participation in the hearing on behalf of WBJDF becomes crucial, especially given recent developments. Crucial meetings between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the delegation of the WBJDF did not fructify as the state administration turned down the junior doctors’ plea for a live broadcast of the meeting, a decision that may evoke empathy towards the junior doctors.
The state administration turned down WBJDF’s proposal to broadcast the meeting live because the matter was pending at the Supreme Court.
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–IANS
