Supreme Court asks West Bengal to come clean on ‘civic volunteers’, whether the hiring was a ‘nice’ form of conferring political patronage

RG Kar rape and murder accused Sanjay Roy was a civic volunteer. The top court ordered the State to disclose the steps taken to ensure that civic volunteers did not operate in sensitive institutions such as hospitals and schools.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday October 15,  directed the West Bengal government to come clean on the “source of authority” by which civic volunteers like R G Kar  rape- and  murder case accused Sanjay Roy was employed, especially in sensitive areas such as schools and hospitals. Junior doctors in Kolkata continue their protest over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the city’s R  G Kar Medical College and  Hospital in August.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, heading a three-judge Bench, said employing political acolytes and sympathisers as ‘civic volunteers’ could be a “nice process of conferring political patronage on people who are totally unverified”.