Kolkata:

A ragpicker was injured after an object that he had picked up exploded in central Kolkata today, the police said.

Following the incident at 1.45 pm, the officer in charge of central Kolkata’s Taltala police station went to the spot to check.

The explosion had blown off several fingers of the ragpicker. He has been admitted to a hospital.

The police said a gunny bag was found at the entry point of Blochmann Street. The police said they sealed the area and called the bomb disposal squad.

The bomb squad checked the bag and searched the surroundings, following which they cleared the area for traffic.

The ragpicker has been identified as Bapi Das, 58. He told the police he used to roam around the area, and only recently started sleeping on a pavement on SN Banerjee Road.

The police said his statement is yet to be recorded as his treatment is going on. A forensic check of the area will follow.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured strict action in cases of crime against women, amid a huge outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a hospital in Kolkata.

“The security of women is very important. I will once again tell every state government that crimes against women are unforgivable. No matter who the culprit is, they should not be spared,” PM Modi said at the ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon today.

The Modi government describes a “Lakhpati Didi” as a self-help group member who earns an annual household income of Rs 1 lakh or more. This income is calculated for at least four agricultural seasons and/or business cycles, with an average monthly income exceeding Rs 10,000, so that it is sustainable.

“We are strengthening laws to ensure stringent punishment for those perpetrating crimes against women,” PM Modi said.

Jalgaon, Maharashtra: ‘The security of women is also very important for our country. I will once again tell every state government that crimes against women are unforgivable. No matter who the culprit is, they should not be spared,’ says PM Modi at the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan pic.twitter.com/6I1SSo9FOk

— IANS (@ians_india) August 25, 2024

The rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital had sparked protests across the nation. It had led to a bitter political battle between West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP leaders over deteriorating condition of women’s safety.

At the Jalgaon event, PM Modi said his government has done more for women in the last 10 years than was done by all the previous regimes since Independence.

“Till 2014, less than Rs 25,000 crore loans were given to women self-help groups, but in the last 10 years, Rs 9 lakh crore was given,” PM Modi said.

Batting for Maharashtra’s BJP-led Mahayuti government, he asked people to ensure support for years for the sake of stability and prosperity. “Maharashtra is the shining star of a developed India. The future of the state lies in more investment and job growth,” PM Modi said.

Doctors and nursing staff protest against the recent rape and murder of a woman doctor inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata on August 11, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The man who was arrested on the charge of raping and murdering a doctor inside a Kolkata hospital returned to his place and went to sleep before washing his clothes the next morning to destroy evidence, a police officer probing the case claimed.

The police, however, found marks of blood on the shoe of the accused, a civic volunteer who is not associated with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but used to frequent the place.

The body of a woman post-graduate trainee who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the hospital was found on Friday morning. The civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday.

Protests by junior doctors demanding quick punishment of those responsible for the crime continued for the third day on Sunday, affecting services in government hospitals across West Bengal.

City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the medical establishment on Sunday for the second time in three days and held a meeting with representatives of agitating junior doctors.

He claimed that the probe is “transparent” and urged people not to spread rumours.

“After committing the crime, the accused went back to the place where he was staying and slept till late on Friday morning. After waking up, he washed the clothes he was wearing during the crime to destroy evidence. His shoes, with blood stains on them, were found during a search,” the officer said.

Asked if anyone else was involved in the crime as alleged by some quarters, he said, “As of now there is no evidence of that.”

Also Read | Murder of young doctor in hospital triggers shock and horror in Kolkata

The police were waiting for the final post-mortem examination report as they wanted to match it with their probe findings, the officer said.

The initial autopsy report stated that the victim was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips.

Another police officer said that circumstantial evidence also indicated a possibility that the doctor was first murdered and then raped.

“We are also talking to persons who were on duty on Thursday night till the next morning. CCTV footage is also being checked,” the police officer said.

A team of police officers of the SIT, along with the forensic unit on Sunday, collected samples from the seminar hall of the hospital, a police source said.

The police also reconstructed the crime scene though the arrested accused was not present, the officer said.

“The autopsy report has been handed over to the parents of the deceased doctor today by one of our senior officers. We had a fruitful meeting with the students and we think they are satisfied. As per their demand, we have removed one assistant police officer who was posted here,” the police commissioner said.

Mr. Goyal said the police are not trying to hide anyone, and the investigation is transparent.

The IPS officer said that they would soon start a toll-free number for the poeple to come up with suggestions or complaints.

The agitating junior doctors, however, said that they would continue their demonstration till they are totally “satisfied” and their demands regarding their safety and security were addressed.

The cease work in all emergency and non-emergency services will continue but there, one junior doctor said after the meeting with Mr. Goyal.

Junior doctors, house staff and post-graduate trainees (PGT) at various State-run hospitals, who are also demanding security for them in medical establishments, began a cease work since Friday evening.

“The government must take significant steps to secure justice for the victim. The incident is not only a reflection of systemic failures at the hospital level, but it also points toward broader societal issues that demand immediate and focused attention,” he said.

In the wake of the agitation, the State health department on Sunday cancelled offs and holidays of all senior doctors to tackle the stalemate.

Support for the agitating doctors came from different corners of the country.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association of India (FORDA) has supported the ongoing strike and called for a nationwide halt of elective services in hospitals on Monday.

The FORDA has informed the Union Health Ministry about their decision.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to seek death penalty for the perpetrator.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police deployed a huge contingent at the hospital on Sunday.

“No one will be allowed inside the hospital premises without proper identification. We will ensure total safety of the health workers in the medical establishment,” the officer said.

The hospital authorities expelled the two security persons contractually employed at the emergency ward for not discharging their duties properly which, in a way, led to the crime against the doctor, another official said.