Kolkata rape-murder: Doctors continue with cease work, sit-in protest

Defying Supreme Court's directive to join duties by 5 PM on September 10, protesting junior doctors in West Bengal continued with their cease work for the 33rd day on Wednesday to press their demand for justice for a medic who was allegedly raped and murdered at a state-run hospital here last month.

The junior doctors also continued their sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the state health department, for the second day, demanding that the Kolkata Police commissioner and senior health officials be removed from their posts.

The top court on Monday directed the protesting resident doctors to resume work by 5 PM on Tuesday and said no adverse action shall be taken against them on resumption of work.

The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors on resumption of work.

The state government said it has written to the protesters, inviting them for a meeting at the state secretariat 'Nabanna' to resolve the impasse over the incident.

However, the protesting doctors said the mail for the meeting was from the state health secretary, whose resignation they were seeking, and termed it as "insulting".

They also said that restricting the number of representatives to attend the meeting to 10 was "humiliating".

The body of the postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was recovered on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested the next day in connection with the crime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the alleged rape and murder of the woman medic, following a Calcutta High Court order.