Kolkata:

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), spearheading the movement against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in August this year, on Friday announced its decision to withdraw the cease-work demonstration considering the interest of the common people who come for medical services at state-run hospitals.

However, WBJDF representative Debasish Halder said that the junior doctors will start a fast-unto-death agitation if their demands that are within the jurisdiction of the West Bengal government are not fulfilled within 24 hours.

WBJDF had already laid out the conditions for withdrawal of their ongoing cease-work agitation that resumed on Tuesday.

According to them, the first of their 10 demands relates to the protracted judicial process to ensure justice for the rape and murder of the victim, whose fulfillment depends on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, a WBJDF representative said the fate of the remaining nine demands depend on how serious the state government is about fulfilling them.

“We want the state government to fulfill these remaining nine demands within the next 24 hours, failing which we will be going for fast-unto-death agitation,” he said.

The other demands include immediate removal of the state health secretary, introduction of centralised referral system and digital bed vacancy monitor, task forces based on each college, with elected representation of junior doctors, increased police protection in hospitals, filling up of vacant posts of doctors, nursing staff and health workers and setting up of inquiry committees must be established in every medical college to investigate those involved in threat syndicates and punish them.

An inquiry committee must also be formed at the state level, immediate elections for student councils in every medical college and immediate enquiry on rampant corruption and lawlessness inside West Bengal Medical Council and West Bengal Health Recruitment Board.

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

Kolkata:

The CBI on Thursday interrogated TMC youth leader Ashish Pandey, who is also a house staff at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in connection with the rape and murder of the doctor, an officer said.

Mr Pandey was questioned for hours at the CBI’s CGO Complex office before he left late in the night, he said.

“Pandey’s phone number was found in the call lists of several persons. He had checked in at a hotel in Salt Lake with a woman friend on the day the trainee doctor’s body was found. We are trying to ascertain his activities on that day,” the CBI officer said.

The CBI also summoned the hotel authorities for details of Mr Pandey’s bookings and payments made.

“The hotel room was booked via an app. He checked in on August 9 afternoon and left the next morning. We are trying to find out what was the purpose of his stay there,” the officer said.

The body of the trainee doctor was found at the hospital on August 9, triggering a nationwide outrage.

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

Kolkata:

The father of the trainee doctor from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College who was raped and murdered today said his daughter would have been alive if West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken action against former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandeep Ghosh in 2021.

“CBI is doing its job, we cannot say anything about this (investigation)… Whoever is connected to this murder in some way or those who are involved in tampering with evidence, all are under investigation… They are sitting in protest (protesting junior doctors) with pain, they are like my children, we feel pain seeing them… The day the accused will be punished, that day will be our victory… In the year 2021 also, many allegations were levelled against former principal Sandeep Ghosh; if the Chief Minister had taken action against Sandeep Ghosh then, today my daughter would have been alive,” the victim’s father told reporters.

Earleir today, IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma has been appointed as the new Commissioner of Police (CP) for Kolkata following the removal of Vineet Kumar Goyal from the position.

The decision comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee agreed to the demands made by junior doctors protesting the recent rape and murder case at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Following her meeting with the protesting junior doctors, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that most of their demands had been met, including the removal of Kolkata CP Vineet Kumar Goyal and certain officials from the health department.

Amid the ongoing protest against the rape and murder of the second-year postgraduate trainee doctor inside a seminar room of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College on August 9, the front noted down five-point demands, which include the call for justice for the victim “Abhaya” and to expedite the investigation process in the case.

They also demanded the removal of the Director of Medical Education (DME), the Director of Health Services (DHS), and the Health Secretary from the Department of Health and Family Welfare of the West Bengal Government.

The front called for “action against incompetent and complacent police authorities” and demanded the removal of Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal as well as the Deputy Commissioner of Police of North and Central for administrative failure and alleged evidence tampering.

West Bengal:

The mother of the trainee doctor from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of lying about not offering financial compensation.

On Monday, she refuted the CM’s claim, stating that Mamata Banerjee did offer money following her daughter’s tragic death.

“The Chief Minister is lying. My daughter will not return. Would I lie in her name? The Chief Minister told us that we would receive money and suggested that we create something in our daughter’s memory. I responded that I would come to her office to collect the money once my daughter gets justice,” the victim’s mother told ANI.

Earlier today, CM Mamata Banerjee denied offering any money to the family of the trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in Kolkata.

“I have never offered money to the doctor’s family. This is nothing but slander. I only told the doctor’s parents that if they wished to do something in their daughter’s memory, our government would support them. Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Vineet Goyal, offered to resign following the RG Kar protests, but we need someone knowledgeable in law and order as Durga Puja approaches,” she said.

The victim’s cousin also said that the Chief Minister personally offered financial compensation to the family. “The Chief Minister herself offered financial compensation. She denied that money was offered by the police. I’m still saying with responsibility that the Chief Minister offered money,” the cousin said.

CM Mamata Banerjee also encouraged people to “return to festivities” as Durga Puja nears and urged junior doctors to resume their duties as soon as possible.

In response, the victim’s mother expressed that this request seemed inhuman to her.

“Durga Puja is celebrated in my house too; my daughter used to handle it herself. But Durga Puja will never be celebrated in my house again. The light in my home is out. How can I ask people to return to the festival?” she said.

She further questioned, “If such an incident had happened in the Chief Minister’s family, would she have said this?”

The victim’s mother also asserted that they would continue their movement until justice is served.

The second-year postgraduate medical student was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9.

On Monday, the Supreme Court reminded the authorities that no action should be taken against doctors who return to work by tomorrow at 5 pm while hearing the case related to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

However, the court noted that if the doctors fail to do so, the court will not be able to restrain the state government, and further absence from work might lead to disciplinary action against them.

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

Kolkata:

In the wake of the people’s uproar demanding justice for the deceased woman doctor, West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Sunday directed CM Mamata Banerjee to hold an immediate emergency Cabinet meeting and discuss the issue, a Raj Bhavan source said.

Governor Bose has also stated that the state government should decide on the people’s demand to replace Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal.

“Governor Bose has directed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss people’s demand for justice for the deceased woman doctor,” the source told PTI.

Governor Bose is on record that the government cannot evade responsibility and remain silent on the disturbing developments in the state, he said.

“According to the governor, the state should function within the Constitution and the rule of law. The ostrich-like attitude will not pay and the state must address the public demand to remove the Police Commissioner of Kolkata,” the source said.

The body of an on-duty trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered, was found in the seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, triggering nationwide outrage.

Protests were held by common people daily in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.

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

The principal of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, where a 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered on August 9, has been sent to eight days of police custody after he was arrested in a case of financial irregularities yesterday by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The CBI had sought custody for 10 days for the accused.

The arrest was made in connection with the allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure, which are being investigated by the central agency alongside the rape-murder case.

Three others have been arrested along with Sandip Ghosh. Sources said they are vendors Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara, who supplied medicine to the hospital and Afsar Ali, a security guard.

As Principal of the RG Kar Medical College, where the woman doctor’s body was discovered on the morning of August 9, the role of Sandip Ghosh has been questioned by many. Even the Supreme Court had questioned why he, the head of the institution, had not lodged a First Information Report immediately.

His transfer to another hospital hours after he resigned his post under the pressure of public opinion, had caused the second shockwave, where the role of the state government had also raised eyebrows. While coming down heavily on the government, the Calcutta High Court had suggested that instead of taking up the post, Sandip Ghosh go on a long leave.

The CBI, which took over the rape-murder case after an order from the Calcutta High Court, had started questioning Sandip Ghosh on August 16. Each session lasted for 10 to 14 hours.

After the financial irregularities case was also handed to it by the High Court, the agency, on August 25, searched his home. Late in the evening, asked if they had gathered any evidence, an official said, “Lots”. The former Principal has undergone two rounds of polygraph tests.

Sandip Ghosh has already been suspended by the Indian Medical Association. His appointment to premier Calcutta National Medical College also backfired, with the students locking him out of the Principal’s office long before the Supreme Court order. 

Kolkata:

In a late-night development, the West Bengal Health Department on Wednesday announced the transfer of three top officials of state-run R.G Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, including its new Principal and Vice Principal.

Apart from the newly-appointed Principal Suhrita Pal, the newly-appointed Medical Superintendent & Vice Principal Bulbul Mukhopadhyay and the head of the institute’s Chest Medicine Department Dr Arunava Duta Chowdhury were also shifted out.

According to state Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, the decision was taken honouring the demand of the protesting junior doctors and medical students of R.G Kar Medical College & Hospital in particular and the representatives of the medical fraternity in general in order to resume normal medical services in the health sector of the state.

At the same time, Mr Nigam announced that the state government has also withdrawn its earlier notification for appointing former R.G Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh as the Principal of Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMCH).

Earlier in the day, the representatives of the medical fraternity took out a protest rally to the Swastha Bhavan, the state Health Department headquarters.

There a delegation of protesting doctors met the Department officials and handed over a memorandum enlisting their demands. The demands included the withdrawal of the notification for appointing Ghosh as CNMCH Principal and the removal of Pal as the current RG Kar Principal.

After coming out after the meeting, the delegation members said that they did not receive any firm commitment from the state Health Department officials that their demands would be fulfilled. The protesting doctors also asserted that they would be continuing with their agitation unless their demands were fulfilled. It is probably due to this all-round pressure, the state government decided to accept some of the demands of the protesting doctors and shift the officials concerned.

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

New Delhi:

In solidarity with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, doctors and representatives of various medical organisations have announced protests at various locations in the country.

The Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, Operating Theaters and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice.

They has also announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services today.

Kolkata Police today said it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the metropolis.

The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal.

Here are the Updates on the Doctors strike:

Rape and murder of woman resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital | BJP leader Bharati Ghosh says, “… The West Bengal government is unable to protect the women of the state… They have said nothing about the incident and are unable to arrest the accused. This is why the people have taken to the streets. This is a revolution of the people’s power. Women are coming forward and they are raising their voice of justice and protesting against the darkness and everything that was being perpetrated by the Mamata Banerjee government.”

#WATCH | Rape and murder of woman resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital | BJP leader Bharati Ghosh says, “… The West Bengal government is unable to protect the women of the state… They have said nothing about the incident and are unable to arrest the accused…. pic.twitter.com/LquA9nbLol

– ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024

Mamata Banerjee’s Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder

Amid nationwide uproar over the Kolkata hospital rape-murder, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a rally this evening to demand death penalty for the accused. She has given a Sunday ultimatum to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the central agency that has taken over the probe, to ensure capital punishment for the culprits. Read here

• In solidarity with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, doctors and representatives of various medical organisations have announced protests at various locations in the country.
• The Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, Operating Theaters and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice.
• They has also announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services today.
• Kolkata Police today said it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the metropolis.
• The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal.