Kolkata: Women across Kolkata and many districts will take to the streets to protest against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday evening.
A social media campaign titled, 'Women, Reclaim the Night: The Night is Ours' aims at seeking justice for the doctor's rape and murder. The campaign was launched following Dr Sandip Ghosh's resignation from the principal's post in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Criticism surfaced on social media where netizens slammed Ghosh for first blaming the victim for roaming in the night and then saying she was like her daughter.
Under this campaign, protests will kick off from several key junctions of the city, including Jadavpur, Academy of Fine Arts, Shyambazar and also the districts.
Among those who have pledged support for the campaign includes TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekha Ray. Taking to his X handle, Ray said, “I am going to join the protesters particularly because I’ve a daughter and little granddaughter like millions of Bengali families. We must rise to the occasion. Enough of cruelty against women. Let’s resist together. Come what may.”
Ray also added, “Gangrape and merciless murder happened in RG Kar Hospital. Who are they? Now CBI to investigate. Well. I’ve no faith in CBI. They are nincompoop. Yet the truth is to be unravelled. Why there are attempts to shield the beasts? Whosoever is responsible for the crime must be hanged.” Authorities of Kolkata Metro have confirmed that a pair of additional metro services will be made available to ease movement late at night.
CBI takes over probe:
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers stepped up their probe while the Joint Doctors’ Forum, has decided to continue its stir and has refused to join duties unless their demands of security and a transparent probe process are not met.
A team of CBI officers, which included medical and forensic experts reached the city early today and took charge of the probe after Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the case. The court had instructed the Kolkata Police to transfer the case to the central agency by 10 am today. Two CBI officers had reached the Tallah police station late last night and conducted initial investigation into the case.
A team of sleuths from the agency reached RG Kar Medical College and Hospital this morning to talk to those who were present in the chest medicine department on that fateful night. The forensics team will also conduct their inquiry into the incident.
The Kolkata Police today handed over Sanjoy Roy, the only person arrested in connection with the case, to the CBI. Roy was brought to the CGO complex after conducting his medical tests at the state-run SSKM Hospital. Roy, a civic volunteer, was tracked down by the police after a broken Bluetooth headset was found near the doctor's body.
CBI officers said, an FIR in connection with the murder has been filed under several sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following initial rounds of questioning, the accused was taken for further medical check-up.
The issue of renovation work being conducted on the same floor where the medical student was murdered, has been halted. Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Suhrita Pal said, “The renovation work had started, but it was suspended yesterday. We had sought the views of the police through an email and they had told us to halt work.”
Meanwhile, several students of the college and the agitating doctors had raised concerns that a section of authorities in the hospital was deliberately trying to tamper evidence as the work was being conducted very close to the seminar hall.
BJP demands CM's resignation:
Union Minister of State for Education and West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, “There is a reason why the doctors are continuing with their agitation. It is going on even after one person was arrested. This is happening because of deep mistrust among the people about this state government. The general perception is, the government is trying to save someone. It is a total failure of the government and the Chief Minister should resign.”
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also echoed the same demands. The Opposition BJP also staged a sit-in demonstration at the Assembly protesting against alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state and demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation.
Meanwhile, BJP Tamluk MP and former Justice Abhijeet Gangopadhyay reached RG Kar Medical College and Hospital along with actor-politician Rudranil Ghosh to stage protest.
IMA expresses concern:
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also expressed deep anguish over the incident. IMA national president Dr RV Asokan and secretary general Dr Anilkumar J Nayak also reached Kolkata today and held meetings with IMA state office bearers over the safety and security of doctors, especially women doctors and medical students in hospitals and medical facilities.
A timeline of attacks on women doctors and nurses in India:
- November 27, 1973: A 25-year-old nurse of King Edward Memorial Hospital was allegedly raped by a ward attendant and died in 2015 after 42 years of severe brain damage and paralysis.
- September 7, 2020: Kerala health inspector was arrested on charges of raping a 44-year-old nurse who had approached him for a coronavirus-negative certificate, police said.
- December 2022: A 24-year old male nurse was arrested for allegedly raping a female doctor and sharing her nude photos on social media. According to the
- police, Nisham Babu hailing from Thrissur district allegedly raped the 28-year old doctor by giving her a false promise that a new job would be arranged for her at a hospital in Coimbatore.
- May 10, 2023: Kerala-based 22-year-old doctor, Vandana Das, was working at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital as a part of her internship training when a crime suspect brought for medical examination by the police stabbed her to death with scissors.
- August 13, 2023: A nurse in a private hospital was allegedly gang-raped and killed by a doctor and five staff. The woman who was a nurse at Janaki Sevasadan Nursing Home in Motihari in the East Champaran district of Bihar. Police registered a case against six people, including the doctor and one person was arrested.
- September 1, 2023: Health minister of Kerala Veena George ordered the health department director to conduct an inquiry into alleged sexual harassment by a woman doctor against a senior doctor at Ernakulam General Hospital. The move was taken after the minister came across a Facebook post by the woman doctor about the incident which allegedly took place in 2019.
- September 9, 2024: A post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Her family alleged she was raped and murdered.
- August 11, 2024: A resident doctor at Cuttack’s SCB Medical College and Hospital, has been arrested for allegedly raping two patients in the hospital campus. The doctor was admitted to the ICU of the hospital after allegedly being assaulted by the relatives of the patients.
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