Acclaimed lawyer and social activist Indira Jaising will be representing West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), the umbrella organisation of junior doctors in the state protesting against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month, during the hearing in the matter at the Supreme Court on September 17.
Till now, WBJDF was being represented by senior advocate at the apex court, Geeta Luthra.
Sources aware of the development said that Jaising has already secured the consent of Luthra 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.
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.
Jaising is considered as the key person behind the present practice of live-streaming of the Supreme Court proceedings.
Based on her application, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had approved the live-streaming of the proceedings of the apex court.
Political observers feel that Jaising’s participation in the hearing on behalf of WBJDF especially becomes crucial in the backdrop of the recent developments where 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 plea of the junior doctors for live-telecast of the meeting.
The reason given by the state administration for turning down WBJDF’s proposal for a live-telecast of the meeting was that the matter was pending at the Supreme Court.
