Supreme Court Establishes National Task Force Amid Protests Over Doctor's Murder

The Supreme Court of India has set up a national task force to make recommendations on workplace safety for doctors following the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. The court has also requested a report from federal police on the investigation, leading to nationwide protests by doctors demanding safer working conditions.

India's Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday the creation of a national task force of doctors to provide recommendations on workplace safety, following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor that sparked nationwide protests.

The court also directed federal police to submit a report on Thursday detailing the status of its investigation into the Aug. 9 murder at a state-run hospital in Kolkata. In response to the crime, doctors across the nation have protested and refused to see non-emergency patients, demanding both safer workplaces and a swift criminal probe.

A police volunteer has been arrested and charged with the crime. Women's rights activists assert that this incident underscores the ongoing issue of sexual violence against women in India, despite stricter laws introduced after the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student in New Delhi.