Kolkata:

The continuing protests by the junior doctors of West Bengal against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August this year are not in self-interest but in the larger public interest, Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) national President R.V. Asokan said on Friday.

“The junior doctors are protesting against the rampant corruption in the healthcare system. They are speaking against the lack of safety at their workplaces which are hospitals. They are not carrying their protests out of self-interest… Their protests are in the larger public interest. They have really touched my heart. I want to say that IMA is beside them,” R.V. Asokan said after reaching the dais at Esplanade in central Kolkata where six junior doctors are continuing their fast-unto-death protests in support of their demands on the issue.

However, at the same time, R.V. Asokan requested the fasting doctors to withdraw their agitation.

“Life comes first. Do not adopt the extreme step,” he was heard appealing to the doctors on hunger strike.

Already Aniket Mahato, one of the seven junior doctors who were conducting the fast-unto-death agitation, had been admitted at R.G. Kar after Thursday midnight after his medical conditions deteriorated sharply. The panel of doctors attending him had claimed that although his condition had slightly improved from what it was on Thursday, he was yet to be out of the crisis.

Meanwhile, the medical conditions of the remaining six junior doctors who are continuing their hunger, namely Tanaya Panja, Snigdha Hazra, Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, Anushtup Mukhopadhyay, Arnab Mukhopadhyay, and Pulastya Acharya, too have started showing deteriorations. While ketone bodies have been detected in their urine, their blood pressure levels have started fluctuating and pulse rates are high.

“Even Aniket initially refused to get admitted to the hospital last night. But we somehow convinced him. The state government can choose to act in an inhuman manner. But we have the responsibility towards our colleague,” said Debasish Halder, one of the principal faces of the junior doctors’ movement on this issue.

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

Kolkata:

The junior doctors, protesting over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, went on fast unto death on Saturday evening, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government.

With three days left before the Durga Puja festivities start, the doctors had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands.

“The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death, which will continue till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues are holding the fast,” a junior doctor said.

“We joined duty last night but will not eat anything,” he said, adding that at present six junior doctors were sitting on fast.

The six doctors who were sitting on the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, SSKM’s Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.

The state would be held responsible if any doctor fell ill during the fast, the junior doctor said.

“We have the support of the people, and that is the reason we are not scared of any sort of hindrances by the administration. We will continue our hunger strike until our demands are met,” he added.

A large number of common people and a few celebrities were present at the protest site in the evening.

The junior doctors had on Friday night called off their ‘total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

Earlier in the day, the medics alleged the police were not allowing them to set up the dais.

Kolkata Police had denied the junior doctors’ request for permission for the sit-in, stating that the road witnesses heavy traffic flow.

The protesting doctors had also alleged that they were baton-charged by the police on Friday night.

Promising “necessary action”, Kolkata Police in an e-mail asked them to identify the police personnel involved and lodge a complaint.

“With reference to the allegation of physical assault, the matter is being enquired. However, you are requested to direct the doctor/person who has allegedly been assaulted to lodge a formal complaint at the concerned Police Station, necessary action will be taken in accordance with the law,” the mail said.

The protesters emphasised that securing justice for the woman medic remains their foremost priority.

Among the other nine demands, they called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and corruption within the Health Department.

Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

Furthermore, they are advocating increased police protection in hospitals, the recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and the swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.

The junior doctors went on “cease work” following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government of looking into their demands

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

Kolkata:

Trinamool Congress leader Ashish Pandey who has been putting up at a hotel in Salt Lake since August 9 is currently under Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scanner, which is probing the rape and murder of a junior female doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.

Incidentally, the body of the junior female doctor was discovered at the seminar hall within the hospital premises on the morning of August 9 only.

Sources said that the investigating agency came to know of Mr Pandey putting up at the Salt Lake on the night of August 9 by examining a number of mobile phones which were under their scanner as a part of the investigation.

Mr Pandey is also a house staff of the same hospital.

After coming to know of Mr Pandey putting up at the said hotel, the CBI officials issued a notice to the hotel authorities asking to send an employee along with the booking register of the hotel to the agency’s Salt Lake office.

One of the staff members of the hotel arrived at the CBI office on Thursday along with the booking register and other related documents and submitted the same to the investigating agency.

It is learnt that Mr Pandey booked the room in the hotel for the night of August 9 through a hotel booking app. It is further learnt that Mr Pandey had checked in the hotel on the night of August 9 and checked out on the next morning.

However, the investigating officials are yet to inform about the event of Mr Pandey’s booking hotel room and the rape and murder case of the female doctor.

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

New Delhi:

Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar on Monday opened up on why he quit the party and laid out five reasons for his resignation.

Speaking to IANS, Mr Sircar asserted that the RG Kar rape and murder case was mishandled, which led to widespread dissatisfaction among the public.

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

IANS: RG Kar’s former Principal Sandeep Gosh was arrested in connection with the rape, murder and destruction of evidence and conspiracy. Is this the reason for your resignation as a Rajya Sabha member?

Jawhar Sircar: My resignation is on a wider issue. I wanted to bring it to the notice of Trinamool leaders that there is widespread dissatisfaction among the people over the RG Kar Medical College incident, which was handled badly. I am an administrator. I know what is good handling and what is bad handling.

My second issue is corruption and favouritism, and I am very clear that there are issues of corruption and favouritism within the health sector. Third, women of West Bengal have come out on the streets. I cannot be within the party and support an anti-party movement.

The fourth issue is the wider disaffection among the people at the style of functioning of certain leaders.

The fifth issue is the most important reason why I have resigned: all the four issues put together put Trinamool in a bad light. However, Trinamool is the only party that can stop BJP from entering and capturing West Bengal.

BJP should not capture the state because West Bengal has a completely different culture, be it political or social, which can not gel with what BJP thinks. We are not communal.

West Bengal does not want BJP to come in by default because there is no such party that can stop BJP, keeping in mind all its manpower, Central interventions and selective vindictiveness. Congress in Bengal is finished. Left in West Bengal is battered. Only Trinamool can stop BJP. And I informed that party that if you lose the first four issues, you’ll lose the fifth one also.

IANS: What is the stake of BJP in West Bengal? Do you think the RG Kar incident will be a drawback for Mamata Banerjee in the election?

Jawhar Sircar: It should not be a drawback as elections are quite some distance away. If she takes corrective measures from now, she will be able to stop it as she has done before. But she needs to take corrective measures, as I have said in my letter.

IANS: Do you think she will make the corrective decision in future? She tried to connect with the doctors but they demanded a live streaming of the meeting, which she refused.

Jawhar Sircar: In the letter I wrote, I said that she should have jumped into the matter within the first few weeks when the incident occurred. She is not somebody who is scared to visit Manipur. She is not like that; she doesn’t get frightened to travel without a security bodyguard.

She should have jumped into the problem and spoken to the doctor. If she had done that in the first few days, the position would not have hardened. The positions are now hardened, and the doctors’ movement also has infiltration. I am using the word infiltration as it is from mischievous elements. One was caught yesterday.

After 35 days, when positions are hardened, things cannot be sorted out in one day with a handshake and a hug. Everything will be ok, but it will require patience.

IANS: What do you think about the arrest of Sandeep Gosh and Abhijit Mondal?

Jawhar Sircar: CBI must have found some proof. It is up to CBI to prove themselves or look like a fool if you make such a high-profile arrest. If the CBI has arrested someone for the sake of the show, its vindictiveness will come out. However, if CBI has arrested someone on the grounds of certain pieces of evidence, that will also come out.

In a high-profile case, one has to be careful. I won’t comment on CBI arrest as good or bad because I don’t have the evidence in front of me. However, something was wrong with Sandeep Ghosh, that is why, from the first day itself, I said that it was important to remove him from the post.

IANS: Has any attempt been made to save Sandeep Ghosh?

Jawhar Sircar: I don’t know about that. The matter I raised was that he was under somebody’s protection. Who is that ‘somebody’ will also be revealed. Somebody was saving Sandeep Ghosh and was advising the Chief Minister that he was innocent and all. The Chief Minister, taking contrary factors into cognizance, must have believed them.

IANS: Since it took so many days to arrest Sandeep Ghosh in connection with the RG Kar case, do you think Mamata Banerjee was trying to save him?

Jawhar Sircar: Sandeep Ghosh did not rape or murder. According to CBI, he is involved in the cover-up. CBI would have to prove it and should have enough evidence for it. It is not just a sensational arrest made just a few days before the Supreme Court hearing.

As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, people are claiming her involvement in the case, and a public image has been made. I have informed her that she should be careful about this.

IANS: Who are the people behind giving another posting to Sandeep Ghosh immediately after he resigned from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital? Do you think it was the state government?

Jawhar Sircar: I can’t say. I am an outsider. But we all saw that he was immediately posted somewhere else, and I felt bad, and I have written about it. It doesn’t look good. This is a part of the mistakes which were made. Whoever was behind it was wrong.

IANS: Should Sandeep Ghosh’s call records be checked? Can this expose his links and collusion with Trinamool and the police?

Jawhar Sircar: This is all speculation. Let the case roll out, and everything will become clear. CBI is very fond of the West Bengal government. Everything will be under scrutiny, and everything will be under the appeal of the judicial system.

IANS: Do you think the Kolkata Police Commissioner should also be arrested in connection to investigating the criminal conspiracy?

Jawhar Sircar: No, it is up to the CBI to take a call on who will be arrested. It might go up to the Chief Minister or the Prime Minister. Maybe the Prime Minister gave the call. Let things come out in the light, we would know.

IANS: What is your stand on the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was recently passed in the Bengal Assembly?

Jawhar Sircar: It’s a good bill. The accused will be punished timely. The other part of the solution lies in giving respect. West Bengal is one of the most women-empowered states in India. I am proud to say that. According to the NCRB statistics, women in West Bengal are the safest.

Why did the Bill come here? It is because the women here are empowered. You couldn’t have done it somewhere else. You can only do it here and make a precedent for the rest of India. Additionally, society should also participate in the process of protection.

IANS: How is it possible that a woman on duty is raped inside her workplace? Are women not safe in their workplace?

Jawhar Sircar: Yes, this is a matter of investigation. It is a matter of security concerns. And it will come out. How did no one see what was happening? How was everyone unconscious of the situation? Everything is under scrutiny and will come out.

IANS: The allegations were made by the victim’s parents that they were offered money by Kolkata Police. What do you have to say about this?

Jawhar Sircar: Again, a matter of dispute. They have made the allegations, but Kolkata Police have denied it. Let the investigations make it clear. Let the punishment be given.

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

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court will today hear the case related to the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will oversee the proceedings.

On Sunday night, thousands gathered in Kolkata and across the globe, demanding justice for the victim. These demonstrations were part of a larger wave of protests, organised under the banner of “Reclaim the Night,” a movement calling for safety and justice for women in public spaces.

Supreme Court’s Earlier Hearing

The Supreme Court on August 20 termed the incident “horrific” and took additional measures to address safety concerns within the healthcare sector. The court issued several directives, including the formation of a 10-member National Task Force to develop protocols for ensuring the safety of doctors and healthcare workers across the country.

The court called upon protesting doctors who had been striking in solidarity with the victim to return to work, stating that “justice and medicine cannot be stopped.” 

The case initially faced delays, with the Supreme Court, during its hearing on August 22, criticising the Kolkata Police for their sluggish handling of the investigation. It was not until August 13 that the Calcutta High Court intervened, transferring the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI began its probe the following day, August 14.

The victim’s body was discovered in a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9, bearing severe injuries. A civic volunteer was arrested the next day in connection with the crime, but the investigation has since widened, resulting in the arrest of the college’s former principal as well.

Protests Worldwide 

From the streets of Kolkata to the cities of Europe, Asia, and the United States, the global Indian community rallied for justice Sunday night. Over 130 protests took place in 25 countries, including major cities like Stockholm, Sydney, and New York. Protesters – many clad in black -held vigils, sang in Bengali, and chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim.

The streets of Kolkata were transformed into protest sites as men and women, young and old, took to the streets to demand justice. From forming human chains to holding burning torches, protesters expressed their anger and sorrow for the victim, who they symbolically named “Tilottama” or “Abhaya.” 

“Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve society. Now, all these protesters are my children,” the victim’s mother said at a rally in Kolkata, as quoted by news agency PTI.

A 14-kilometre-long human chain stretching from Shyambazar in North Kolkata to the suburb of Sodepur was also organised. Thousands of citizens, including rival football fans from East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting, stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their call for justice.

Centre vs State 

Amid the protests, a political clash has emerged between the Centre and the West Bengal government, with the former accusing the state of “unpardonable” non-cooperation in extending logistical support to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which was tasked with providing security at RG Kar Medical College. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in its application to the Supreme Court, has called the lack of cooperation from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government “symptomatic of a systemic malaise.”

The Centre has urged the top court to direct the West Bengal government to fully cooperate with the CISF, failing which it has requested contempt proceedings against the officials responsible for non-compliance
 

Kolkata:

West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC), on Saturday, announced the suspension of three doctors who are known to be close confidants of the former and controversial Principal of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, Sandip Ghosh.

The three doctors include the erstwhile Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of radiodiagnosis department of Burdwan Medical College, Avik De, former senior resident doctor attached to the pathology department of the same hospital, Birupaksha Biswas, and junior doctor of Midnapore Medical College & Hospital, Mustafizur Rahaman Mallick.

The common allegation against all three of them is using their closeness to Sandip Ghosh and the leaders of the ruling dispensation to threaten and harass junior doctors at their respective workplaces.

On September 5, the West Bengal Health Department announced the suspension of both De and Biswas from state medical services. Besides suspension De is also facing a departmental probe initiated against him.

On the other hand, the suspension order for Biswas was issued just a day after he was transferred from Burdwan Medical College in East Burdwan district to Kakdwip Sub-divisional Hospital in South 24 Parganas district.

Since the incident of the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G Kar surfaced, several junior doctors have accused De and Biswas, both confidants of Sandip Ghosh, of introducing “threat culture” where junior doctors and interns were threatened by them to act as directed.

Recently, there were protests by junior doctors at Midnapore Medical College & Hospital against Mallick on the same charges of running a “threat culture” in the same hospital.

Some members of the medical fraternity have claimed that the council should have taken steps against the three doctors and at least cautioned them much before, since the complaints of threatening and harassing junior doctors against them is nothing new.

On Saturday, the council also issued a show-cause notice to Sandip Ghosh, who is currently in CBI’s custody because of his alleged links with the financial irregularities at R.G. Kar.

His registration might be cancelled if he fails to give any reply to the show-cause notice within the next three days.

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

Lucknow:

BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said incidents of crime against women were “extremely worrying”, and asked political parties to rise above party politics and take “strict steps” to prevent them.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and also cases of rape of girls in other parts of the country.

“The incidents of rape, murder and suicide, especially of innocent girls and women, happening in Bengal, Badlapur in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Kannauj, Agra and Farrukhabad districts of Uttar Pradesh are extremely sad and worrying,” the former chief minister said on X.

1. देश में कभी बंगाल, कभी महाराष्ट्र के बदलापुर, कभी बिहार में तो कभी यूपी के कन्नौज, आगरा व फर्रूखाबाद ज़िले आदि में भी मासूम बच्चियों नाबालिग़ व महिलाओं पर ख़ासकर रेप, हत्या व आत्महत्या आदि की हो रही घटनाएं अति-दुःखद व चिन्ताजनक। 1/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

“The Centre and all state governments should rise above party politics and take strict steps in this matter so that such incidents stop happening. Politics should not be done in its guise. This is the need of the hour and also in the interest of women,” she added.

2. केन्द्र व सभी राज्य सरकारें, इस मामले में दलगत राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर सख़्त कदम उठाएं, ताकि ऐसी घटनायें जल्दी होना बन्द हो, ना कि इसकी आड़ में राजनीति की जाए, यही समय की मांग है तथा यही महिलाओं के हित में भी है। 2/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

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