Kolkata rape case: Doctors demand police resignation, transparency in probe

RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Junior doctors across India are demanding government accountability and an impartial, transparent probe into the rape and murder case of trainee doctor in Kolkata

The ongoing protest by junior doctors across India has intensified as they demand a transparent and impartial investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. At the heart of their demands is a call for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case, alongside the removal of officials believed to be complicit in covering up the crime.

Dr Subarna Goswami, Additional General Secretary of the All India Federation of Government Doctors Association (AIFGDA), addressed the media at a press conference held in Delhi, representing junior doctors and the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) from across the country.

 

"Our first demand is from the CBI to maintain transparency and impartiality in the investigation. Secondly, all the departments and their officials involved in the crime should be removed. We also demand the resignation of the police commissioner and deputy commissioner. Furthermore, the junior doctors' demands must be met," Goswami stated firmly.

VIDEO| RG Kar rape-murder case: "Our first demand is from CBI to maintain transparency and impartiality in the investigation. Secondly, all the departments and their officials who were involved in the crime should be removed. The police commissioner and deputy commissioner should… pic.twitter.com/5UiCM44Ghy

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 16, 2024

Goswami also emphasised the need for a transparent dialogue between the West Bengal government and the agitating doctors.

Another representative of the AIFGDA, Dr Siddharth added, "At every level of the state machinery, there is an ecosystem of officials who are shielded by local powers, which led to the cover-up (of the case). This wasn't a simple rape-murder case; had it been a simple rape-murder case, there would not have been so much cover-up for the same. It is about the right to living for every woman who goes out of home to earn a living, whether a doctor or a sanitation worker."

"We want a meeting with the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) in a transparent ambience. Junior doctors should be given the confidence to voice their demands clearly, and the government's response must be documented, preferably through videography or live streaming. Why is the government reluctant to face junior doctors on live streaming?" Goswami told ANI ahead of the press briefing.

VIDEO | "At every level of the state machinery, there is an ecosystem of officials who are shielded by local powers, which led to the cover-up (of the case). This wasn't a simple rape-murder case; had it been a simple rape-murder case, there would not have been so much cover-up… pic.twitter.com/AkmheiS6Tg

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 16, 2024

The doctors are seeking timely justice, not only for the perpetrators of the crime but also for those allegedly involved in tampering with evidence and misleading the investigation.

Mamata Banerjee calls protesting doctors for meeting

The West Bengal government has responded to protests by summoning the protesting doctors to a meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence in Kalighat. This invitation marks the fifth and final attempt by the state to resolve the impasse. In an email sent by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Monday, it was specified that "there will be no live streaming or videography of the meeting." Instead, the minutes of the meeting would be documented and signed by both parties.

The email also mentioned that previous meetings between the state government and the doctors, held at the Nabanna state secretariat and the chief minister’s residence, had collapsed due to disagreements over live streaming. The government’s insistence on restricting live coverage has become a major sticking point in the negotiations, with junior doctors arguing that transparency is essential in such sensitive matters. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 5 pm, with the RG Kar Medical Hospital case set to be heard by the Supreme Court the following day.

Doctor protests continue in Kolkata

Despite the Supreme Court’s directive for doctors to resume their duties, the protest continues unabated. Since September 10, junior doctors have been staging a demonstration outside Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the West Bengal health department.

Senior doctors from RG Kar Medical College have echoed the concerns of the junior doctors, and have accused the authorities of evidence tampering in the case. At a recent press conference, they condemned the crime as a result of a "nexus between the West Bengal government and health department officials."