After 24 hours, Kolkata police allows protesting junior doctors to proceed

Twenty-four hours after junior doctors started their march to Kolkata Police headquarters Lalbazar demanding police commissioner Vineet Goyal's resignation, the cops on Tuesday removed barricades and allowed the medics to march to Bentinck street from B B Ganguly street.

From there a few representatives of junior doctors would be accompanied by senior officers of the Kolkata Police to Lalbazar where they were likely to meet Goyal. Police sources said that at the Bentinck Street crossing, a huge team of policemen would form a human chain.

"It will be a peaceful rally and we will march together till Bentinck Street. Our representatives will to Lalbazar to meet the CP," one of the agitating doctors told PTI.

Junior doctors of different medical colleges who took out a rally to Kolkata Police headquarters Lalbazar demanding the resignation of police commissioner Vineet Goyal, stayed put at nearby B B Ganguly street even on Tuesday, more than 23 hours after they were stopped from marching further.

The doctors, who were joined by several common people as well as students from other educational institutions, spent the entire Monday night on BB Ganguly street, around half a kilometre away from Lalbazar, to stop them from marching ahead.

A huge contingent of Kolkata Police officers remained on guard on the other side of the barricade built with guardrails chained together and locked with padlocks.

The junior doctors had placed the replica of a spine and red roses on the barricade. The replica is to emphasise the duty of the police force to protect citizens, they claimed.

"This was not in our plan. We did not know that Kolkata Police was so scared that they would put up 9-feet high barricade to stop us. Our agitation will continue till we are allowed to reach Lalbazar and meet the CP. We will continue sitting here till then," one of the agitating doctors told PTI.

They continued shouting slogans seeking justice and protection for all, including doctors.

Later, Additional Police Commissioner (IlI) of Kolkata Police Santosh Pandey along with other officers of the force reached the spot and held talks with the doctors to pacify them.

The doctors started their march towards Lalbazar at around 2 pm on Monday holding placards which displayed illustrations of Goyal with texts calling for his resignation.

They also burnt an effigy of the police commissioner after they were stopped on BB Ganguly street.

They also raised slogans, seeking exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The medics have alleged inadequate steps by the police during its probe into the August 9 rape-murder of the young doctor, before the investigation was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.