Now Kolkata doctor case, Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of 10 cases in 2024 but no result came out in any of them

New Delhi: This year, the Supreme Court of India has initiated action on 10 different cases using its suo motu power. These cases include a controversial order passed by a single judge of the Calcutta High Court and the rape and murder of a female doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Supreme Court has started hearing these cases using its special power. However, no final verdict has been given in most of the cases yet.

Hearing on Kolkata case in Supreme Court

Today, the Chief Justice-led bench heard the Kolkata rape-murder case in the Supreme Court and directed the appointment of a National Task Force for investigation. The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern about the safety of doctors and medical staff across the country. Although the Supreme Court heard this case quickly, before this, a case related to the remand policy of Chhattisgarh, which was taken note of by the Supreme Court itself six months ago, has not yet been listed.

Earlier, cognizance was taken on the decision of MP High Court

In another case, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision to dismiss six women judges from service. Although the proceedings in this case began on December 17 last year, the bench headed by Justice BV Nagarathna has not yet reached any conclusion.

Cognizance taken on a case of Calcutta High Court

Another judgment of the Calcutta High Court had asked teenage girls to ‘control their sexual desires’. The judgment said that ‘in the eyes of society, when she gives herself up for two minutes of physical pleasure, she loses.’ The Supreme Court recorded the case under the title ‘Regarding the right to privacy of juveniles’ and deleted these comments from the judgment. However, the judgment in the case was reserved on May 17, but has not been pronounced yet.

Cognizance taken on 50 cases from 1991 to 2022

Between 1991 and 2022, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognizance of around 50 cases, of which 10 cases came up in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. The first suo motu cognizance of this year was registered by the Supreme Court on January 28. In this case, the Supreme Court had permanently stayed the order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay in which he/she had asked the Secretary General of the Supreme Court to send the documents presented before the Chief Justice to him/her. After this, Gangopadhyay resigned from the post of Justice of the Calcutta High Court and was elected to the Lok Sabha on a BJP ticket.

Cognizance taken on the recruitment of disabled persons in the judiciary

The Supreme Court has initiated two more suo motu proceedings. These proceedings relate to the recruitment of persons with disabilities and visually impaired people in the judiciary. In April, the Supreme Court had initiated proceedings against the office bearers of the Gautam Buddh Nagar District Bar Association. These office bearers were accused of attacking the members of the Supreme Court Bar Association who appeared in the trial court despite the strike.

Case of shifting of Bombay High Court to new building

In May, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud initiated suo motu proceedings to expedite the process of shifting the Bombay High Court to a new building. The High Court, which has been functioning in a four-storey building since January 1879, will now shift to a modern building to be constructed on a 30-acre plot in Bandra East. The old building resembles a palace built in Gothic style and reflects the multi-cultural heritage and vibrancy of Mumbai.

In which cases suo motu cognizance was taken last year

The last suo motu proceedings initiated by the Chief Justice came after an order by a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Rajbir Sehrawat. In this order, the judge had questioned the wisdom and dignity of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had warned and expunged the judge’s inappropriate remarks from the judgment. In 2023, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of three cases. One of these cases was related to the management of the Sariska Tiger Reserve and a temple inside it, which attracts thousands of devotees. The Supreme Court had constituted a committee to find a solution to the issue. This issue could become a cause of conflict between environmental protection and the practice of faith.