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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Kolkata:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Anti-Corruption Branch announced on Sunday that they have uncovered substantial evidence in their corruption probe against former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandeep Ghosh.

When asked if they had found any concrete evidence, a CBI official responded, “…there is a lot.”

The CBI initiated a corruption investigation against former principal Sandeep Ghosh by filing an FIR on Saturday.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation of financial irregularities involving Dr Sandip Ghosh, which was previously handled by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to the CBI.

This decision was made while hearing a petition filed by Akhtar Ali, the former deputy superintendent of the hospital, who accused Dr Ghosh of financial misconduct and unethical practices. The High Court assigned the CBI to investigate the matter, as it is also handling the investigation into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital.

The Court has granted the CBI three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation, which is to be presented on September 17.

Earlier today, CBI officials conducted a polygraph test on the arrested accused, Sanjay Roy, in connection with the rape and murder case of a female trainee doctor in Kolkata.

Additionally, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers protested at Shyambazar today against the incident.

In a related development, Parimal Dey, a teacher from Alipurduar in West Bengal, who was honoured with the Banga Ratna award by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2019, has decided to return the award due to the state government’s response to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident.

Speaking about his decision to ANI, Parimal Dey said, “I have decided to return the Banga Ratna award. Given the protests that have occurred in Bengal and beyond, my conscience dictates that I should give it back. I support the protest. The way she (Mamata Banerjee) is running the administration is not right.”

Earlier today, the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists’ Forum staged a protest in Tollygunge, demanding justice for the victim in the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder incident and urging the Kolkata administration to take responsibility.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered that the security of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) while hearing the suo motu case concerning the rape and murder of the trainee doctor.

The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

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

New Delhi:

The Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS, New Delhi said that they will provide OPD services from Jantar Mantar today to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to patient care.

“The Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS, New Delhi, extends its sincere gratitude to the Supreme Court for its Suo Motu Cognizance and recent verdict concerning RG Kar MC&H and related issues. We appreciate the Court’s attention to the pressing issues affecting our healthcare professionals,” the release said.

RDA AIIMS also urged for enhanced safety measures for healthcare professionals given the persistent and escalating violence against them.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals.

The top court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. The court asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the mob attack incident in the RG Kar hospital on August 15. 

Here are the LIVE Updates on Doctors’ Strike:

The Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS, New Delhi, extends its sincere gratitude to Supreme Court for its Suo Motu Cognizance and recent verdict concerning RG Kar MC&H and related issues. To express our solidarity with the residents of RG Kar MC&H, Kolkata, and to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to patient care, we will provide OPD services from Jantar Mantar starting from 11:00 am onwards. This move highlights our dedication to serving patients despite the current challenges: Resident Doctors’ Association, AIIMS