Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: "File FIR Within 6 Hours Of Incident," Centre's Directive

Following the intensity of the Kolkata rape-murder case and the justice-deprived eyes of nationwide residents, the central government has released a directive leading to a slight inclination towards such heinous crimes. The government has instructed healthcare centres to file an FIR within 6 hours of such a crime’s occurrence. Keep reading to know more about it.

Government Instructs Filing FIR Within 6 Hours

The rape-murder case that left the entire nation in a state of shock has raised millions of eyebrows on the well-known “one of the safest Indian cities for women” - Kolkata. As an aftermath of the jittering Kolkata rape-murder case that took place at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the night of August 8, 2024, the Union government has released a statement instructing the heads of Healthcare institutions to file an urgent FIR within 6 hours of an assault or violence. The Union Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a statement, “In the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident.”

“Recently, it has been observed that violence has become common against doctors and other healthcare staff in government hospitals. A number of health workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty. Many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done by either the patient or the patient’s attendants,” concluded the memorandum.

In the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/2YGDZVRx8O

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024

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Central Protection Act For Doctors

After years of a long-due grant for an official protection act specifically for doctors, the central government has finally made some advancement in the arena by releasing the directive. Doctors have been demanding a Central Protection Act for years for which the draft was prepared in 2019 but failed to meet a successful end. Under the act, the accused is susceptible to imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh.

The need for this act can clearly be seen in the light of the Kolkata rape-murder case, however, many such acts of violence are caused to healthcare workers regularly by patients and their families but often go unnoticed.

Image courtesy: Freepik

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