The protesting doctors have also called for the post-mortem report of the victim and the CCTV footage from the hospital to be made public.
Published Aug 13, 2024 | 9:44 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 13, 2024 | 9:45 AM
Candlelight vigil seeking justice for the murdered Kolkata doctor.
Amid public outrage and the ongoing strike by junior doctors at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, who are demanding a magisterial inquiry into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor within the hospital premises, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pledged to transfer the case to CBI if state police fail to solve it by Sunday.
The principal of the RG Kar Medical College, Sandip Ghosh submitted his resignation on Monday, 12 August.
Junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees at other state-run medical establishments across the country have vowed to continue their agitation and support the cease work declared by the murdered trainee doctor’s colleagues at the Kolkata hospital until the culprits are brought to justice.
Meanwhile, a two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) arrived in Kolkata on Monday.
The body of the woman post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the hospital on 8 August, was found on the morning of Friday, 9 August. The autopsy report stated that the victim had multiple injuries both on her body and face and she was also bleeding from several parts of her body. A police officer was reported to have stated that circumstantial evidence indicated the woman may have been murdered and then raped.
A civic volunteer was arrested on 10 August in connection with her murder and sent to 14-day police custody. Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal said the accused went back to the place he was staying at after the crime and slept till late Friday morning, after which he washed the clothes he was wearing while committing the crime to destroy evidence. His shoes, with blood stains, were reportedly found during the police search.
At least three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed before the Calcutta High Court, demanding that the investigation be transferred to the CBI. A division bench, presided over by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, will hear these PILs on Tuesday, 13 August.
Facing backlash for the perceived failure to ensure the safety of hospital staff, the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, resigned from his post and government service on Monday.
“I cannot take this insult anymore. All the allegations raised against me are false and fabricated. A student movement has been incited to remove me. There is a political mind behind this,” Ghosh said in his resignation letter. His departure follows the earlier removal of the medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth, who has been replaced by Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, the dean of student affairs.
Visiting the residence of the deceased doctor, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to seek the death penalty for those responsible and said she was determined to see justice done. Banerjee said the family members of the deceased doctor suspect that an insider was involved.
“I want the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. If they are unable to crack the case by Sunday, we will hand it over to the CBI. I don’t have an issue with the central agency taking over, but its success rate is low,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister pointed to several high-profile cases that the CBI had failed to solve, expressing scepticism about the agency’s effectiveness. She also emphasised the need for the case to be tried in a fast-track court, underscoring the severity of the crime.
Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, who accompanied Banerjee to the victim’s residence, assured the public that the investigation was proceeding with all due urgency. “All those who were near the place of occurrence and have a connection or involvement are being called and will be summoned if they haven’t been yet. We are certain that if there are other culprits, they will be arrested within the next four to five days,” he said.
However, Goyal also acknowledged that should the victim’s family remain dissatisfied with the investigation, the case would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) according to the chief minister’s directive. A two-member team of NCW met senior police officials at the Kolkata Police Headquarters and discussed the situation.
The incident has sparked widespread protests, with junior doctors and healthcare workers expressing deep concern for their safety. The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) announced the halting of elective services in hospitals in solidarity with the RG Kar Medical College residents.
“As a mark of our solidarity with the colleagues of R.G. Kar, we announce a nationwide halting of elective services in hospitals starting Monday, 12th August. This decision is not made lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that demands for justice and safety are met without further delay,” the association said in a letter to the Union Health Minister.
Across West Bengal, hospital services have been disrupted as junior doctors continued their ceasework, refusing to resume duties until their demands for a thorough investigation and greater security measures are met. “We want an impartial investigation into the murder of our colleague, either by the CBI or a sitting magistrate. We are dissatisfied with the current police investigation and will continue our protest till justice is served and the state ensures foolproof security for all doctors and healthcare workers,” said a protesting junior doctor.
The protesting doctors have also called for the post-mortem report of the victim and the CCTV footage near the seminar hall to be made public. While senior doctors have been called back from leave to handle the influx of patients, the situation remains tense, with outpatient departments struggling to cope.
Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) announced on 12 August a shutdown of elective services from Tuesday in response to the tragic events at RG Kar Medical College.
“The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) expresses profound grief and a deep sense of responsibility as we denounce the tragic events at R.G. Kar Medical College. The brutal and unjust death of a second-year resident doctor, while on duty, represents a grave violation of safety within our medical community,” reads their statement.
“To address these urgent issues, FAIMA convened an emergency meeting on the 11th of August at 9 pm with all major RDAs and key stakeholders. Key executives from RDA AIIMS, PGIMER ARD, JIPMER RDA as well RDAs from various INIs and AIIMS, all major state RDAs from West Bengal, Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana etc. have joined and agreed that a nationwide response is the need of the hour,” reads the statement.
“In solidarity with doctors protesting in West Bengal, FAIMA calls for an immediate nationwide response from all RDAs across the country, and an indefinite shutdown of all elective services, starting from Tuesday, 13th August, 2024 with the demands, including; Implementation of the Central Protection Act (CPA): We demand the immediate implementation of the CPA or a similar law to ensure the protection of doctors across the country; Transparent Investigation: We insist on a proper and transparent investigation into the case, as recent incidents have cast doubt on the integrity of ongoing investigations and immediate transfer to CBI.”
Meanwhile, a candle light rally was organised in Hyderabad by junior doctors at the state-run Osmania Medical College in protest against the rape and murder of the doctor. The junior doctors demanded immediate arrest of the accused and strict punishment to him and also justice for the victim and her family.
They also urged the government to take strict measures to ensure the safety of medical professionals, especially women.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
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