New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed hospitals, including AIIMS New Delhi, to regularise the unauthorised absence of doctors who were part of protests against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of the submissions of a doctors’ body that some hospitals had regularised the absence of the doctors following its August 22, 2024 order but a few others, including AIIMS Delhi, decided to treat the period as leave of absence.
“We deem it appropriate to clarify that if protesting workers had joined work post the Supreme Court order then their absence shall be regularised and not be treated as absence from duty. This is issued in peculiar facts and circumstances of the cases and is not laying down any precedent,” the CJI said.
While granting relief to the doctors, the Supreme Court clarified that the decision should not be considered a precedent for future cases. The court underlined that the ruling was specific to this case and was influenced by the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the incident at RG Kar Medical College.
The verdict provides relief to many doctors whose participation in the protests had raised concerns about their employment status. The ruling ensures that their absence during the agitation will not be held against them, maintaining continuity in their professional careers.
