Kolkata:

A bust to honour the junior doctor raped and killed at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital in August has triggered a row, with many supporting its installation but others, including ruling Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, calling it “disgusting”, “disrespectful” to the woman’s memory, and “the worst thing ever”.

The fibreglass bust – titled ‘Abhaya: Cry of the Hour’ and installed at the hospital and made by sculptor Bhaskar Sai – shows a woman screaming in agony with her head thrown back and eyes wide open.

It was installed Wednesday morning after a protest march by junior doctors from various city medical colleges on the occasion of ‘Mahalaya‘. This is an auspicious day that normally falls a week before Durga Puja and marks the transition from the inauspicious ‘pitri paksha‘ to ‘devi paksha‘.

Doctors who have participated in the nearly two-month long protest against the horrific crime, demanding, among other things, increased security on hospital campuses, told reporters the bust “is not of the victim… but a symbol of pain and torture she went through… and the ongoing protests”.

Some welcomed the bust; one X user, @senktk1979, suggested it may be “required as we humans forget everything… (this will not) allow us to forget this incident” and another, @PaulRhakho, raged, “Don’t remove till justice is done… let the world know India is not safe for women…”

This is extremely disgusting and disrespectful.
Letting the Criminals walk free without any remorse and allegations on 1 hand
And putting this disgusting statue up on the other?
‘Cry of the hour’ my foot!

— DrHumorless (@DrHumorless) October 3, 2024

However, not everyone agrees.

Mr Ghosh posted on X that “the installation of this statue in the name of Tilottama (the sobriquet given to the murdered doctor) is against the spirit of the Supreme Court pronouncement”.

“No responsible person can do that… not even in the name of art. There will be protests and demands for justice but the statue with the girl’s face of pain is not right,” he said.

On his side of the fence, one X user said, “Our country is beyond repair.”

Our country is beyond repair

— Bhushan (@Shitpost_44) October 3, 2024

“Speechless at how insensitive this is… to have one’s pain immortalised, to only be known for being sexually violated… I hope this disgusting statue is destroyed,” another user said.

“I wish… The mob should attack this sculpture first. Shameful design. No one wants to see a sculpture of someone in pain… instead they could have created a sculpture in which Goddess Durga beheads the rapist as capital punishment for his mistake…” a third user raged.

Last month the Supreme Court ordered free online database Wikipedia to remove the name and photo of the doctor; the site had identified the doctor in an entry about the shocking RG Kar killing.

READ | Top Court Orders Wikipedia To Remove Kolkata Horror Victim’s Name

However, Indian laws do not permit release of rape victims and survivors’ identities, and a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud reminded owners Wikimedia Foundation of this fact, stating, “The identity of the victim should not be revealed in any way. Wikipedia should immediately remove photo and content revealing her identity,” the bench said, directing deletion from social media too.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday doctors protesting the RG Kar killing resumed their ‘indefinite’ strike, pressing, once again, for demands that include ensuring their safety at all hospitals and clinics in the state.

READ | “Compelled To…”: Bengal Doctors Resume Strike Over RG Kar Horror

They also criticised the “slow”-paced CBI investigation, saying, “We have seen many times before… CBI has been unable to reach conclusions and allows real culprits to go free due to delays…”

READ | Kolkata Rape Murder: Junior Doctors Resume Work After 42 Days

Ten days earlier the junior doctors had stood down their month-long agitation, after finally meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and returned to provide essential and emergency services but not in outpatient departments. They had then given the state a week to fulfil their demands.

READ | Bengal Replaces Kolkata Police Chief, 2 Others On Doctors’ Demand

Ongoing CBI Investigation

The junior doctor was found dead in a seminar room of the hospital early August 9. The killing sparked furious protests and was compared to the Nirbhaya rape and murder in Delhi in December 2012.

The CBI, which took over the case after being ordered to by the Calcutta High Court, after it overruled a deadline for the police set by the Chief Minister, has arrested Dr Sandip Ghosh, who was the RG Kar Hospital chief at the time, before he resigned claiming “moral responsibility”.

READ | CBI’s Cover-Up Claims Against Ex Principal, Cop In Kolkata Horror

Ghosh has been arrested in connection with alleged financial irregularities in running the hospital, and has been subject to extensive interrogation and a lie-detector test. The CBI has also taken into custody a civilian volunteer with Kolkata Police – Sanjoy Roy – who is the prime accused.

The doctor’s killing has sparked a massive political squabble with the Trinamool and the Chief Minister under severe pressure from the opposition BJP and civil society activists.

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| Photo Credit: PTI

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| Photo Credit: PTI

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Kolkata:

After a violent mob vandalised vehicles and the building of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal lashed out at the media, alleging that what happened was the result of ‘wrong and malicious media campaign’.

Addressing media, Mr Goyal said, “My DCP, who was protecting the boys, is unconscious and what has happened here is because of the wrong, malicious media campaign, which has been going as far as Kolkata police are concerned. What Kolkata Police not done?”

This came after a mob entered the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital campus, damaging the protesting site and public property, forcing security officials to disperse the mob.

Mr Goyal further stated that the Kolkata police have done everything under his command and have also arrested the main accused in the case.

“In this case, they have done everything and I am saying everything under my command. My men have worked day and night to collect evidence. They have collected the best evidence. The main accused have been arrested,” he said.

He further said that he was extremely angry about the rumours spread on this issue and added that due to the malicious media campaign, the people have lost trust in Kolkata Police.

“We have tried to satisfy the family but the rumours are being floated that some Mahapatra is being connected with a political Mahapatra. He is an intern who comes from a small place. His father is a primary school teacher and doesn’t have any kind of background. People are spreading these rumours and some of them are his friends, these doctors. Pathetic… I am extremely angry. We have not done anything wrong… Because of this malicious media campaign, people have lost trust in Kolkata Police. We never said there is only one person; we are waiting for scientific evidence as we don’t have anything to support,” he said.

Mr Goyal also mentioned that it’s not in his conscience to arrest someone based on rumours and said that they haven’t tried to save anyone related to this matter.

“I can’t just some kind of rumour can’t arrest an intern; it’s against my conscience… As far as I am concerned, my team is concerned we have done what is right. Now the case is already gone… CBI will be investigating it… We have been transparent with everyone… We wanted the students to form a seven-member committee on Sunday to share everything with them but they haven’t come up with the committee till today. It’s the most unfortunate thing–the motivated media campaign that was being run has portrayed the Kolkata Police in a very bad light. We are always with the people of Kolkata, but unfortunately, this kind of incident wouldn’t have happened if this kind of malicious campaign wasn’t run by the media…We have not tried to save anyone,” he said.

The mob also vandalised a car belonging to the Kolkata Police. Speaking to ANI, the driver of the car that was vandalised, Badyu Jamaan, said, “The crowd came suddenly and damaged the car. A brick hit me on my back when I was standing by the side of my car.”

Meanwhile, speaking to the media about the rape-murder incident, CPI (M) General Secretary D Raja said, “What happened in Kolkata was a heinous crime and such crimes should not take place anywhere in the country. We are celebrating 78 years of Independence. What is the meaning of independence if we cannot provide security and protection to our own women and children? If this happens to a lady doctor in a city like Kolkata, think of the condition of our working women in the agricultural field in tribal areas. What is happening? This is a very serious issue. What the Bengal government has done so far is not satisfactory. The Union government should take note and provide adequate security to our women and children.”

On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim’s family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)