In response to the widespread outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a group of junior doctors in the state handed a handmade artificial spine to the city's police commissioner, Vineet Goyal. The symbolic gesture was meant to challenge the police to "grow a backbone," as they demanded his resignation over the perceived failures in handling the case. The delegation met with Vineet Goyal on Tuesday, following a 22-hour standoff.
Latest updates on Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case:
The junior doctors at state-run hospitals in West Bengal continued their ceasework on Wednesday, protesting the rape and murder of a woman doctor in the state. This ongoing strike, now over three weeks long, has severely disrupted health services at many state-run medical facilities. A junior doctor expressed the resolve to continue the protests until justice is served, stating, "Our demand for justice is still unfulfilled. The protests will continue till our sister gets justice and the culprits are brought to book."
On Tuesday, workers from various private hospitals in Kolkata also joined the protests, forming a human chain across different parts of the city to show solidarity.
In response to the growing pressure, the West Bengal government passed the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Tuesday. This bill aims to amend central laws at the state level to enforce stricter punishments for severe crimes against women and children. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh hailed the bill's passage as "historic" and met with three junior doctors protesting at BB Ganguly Street in Kolkata, who were demanding the resignation of the city police commissioner.
However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the West Bengal government’s handling of the situation, accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "politicizing" the doctor’s death. Rijiju also claimed that the Chief Minister initially "failed to act" to prevent the crime. He pointed out that in 2018, Parliament had already passed a stringent law to address heinous crimes like rape, which included the establishment of fast-track special courts for quicker trials of pending rape and POCSO Act cases.
The All India Federation of Government Doctors' Associations (AIFGDA) also called for swift justice for the victim, urging the judiciary to handle the case with sensitivity and promptness.
In a related development, the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Anti-Corruption Branch arrested Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, along with three others, over alleged corruption and financial misconduct at the hospital. Ghosh was subsequently placed in eight-day police custody.
