Page 6 - Bengal Doctors Strike

Ex-RG Kar hospital principal had criminal nexus with co-accused: CBI

Arrested former principal of RG Kar hospital Sandip Ghosh has been operating a "criminal nexus along with the other "co-accused for wrongful gains, according to initial findings of the CBI's probe into financial irregularities at the medical establishment here, an officer claimed on Saturday. The central probe agency had also placed the findings before a special court here during a hearing earlier in the week, he said. The CBI had arrested Ghosh, two vendors, and his security person for their alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the state-run hospital, where the rape-murder of a young doctor has triggered nationwide protests. "These (two) vendors were known to Ghosh since he was with the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. We have found that they granted the contracts of RGKMC&H (RG Kar Medical College and Hospital) only because of their proximity with Ghosh," the officer said. Ghosh was posted at the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital for two years from .

Durga Puja preparations continue despite protests over medic's murder-rape

Amid ongoing demonstrations demanding justice for the murdered R G Kar hospital doctor, members of various committees have assured that preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja festival are going on in full swing. A section of people, disheartened by the arrest of only one person in connection with the rape-murder case, have been advocating for a boycott of Durga Puja celebrations this year. They argue that protests should persist until the victim receives true justice. Durga Puja festivities are set to kick-off from October 9. "Until we secure justice for our murdered sister at R G Kar hospital, our movement will persist," said Debalina Dey, an RJ, social media activist, and one of the prominent campaigners of the 'Women Reclaim the Night' initiative in Sodepur. "If this impacts Puja preparations and shopping, so be it. It's not the right time to discuss Durga Puja themes or pandals while we stand in solidarity with Abhaya (the symbolic name given to the woman doctor)," she ...

Kolkata rape-murder: Bengal is going from wrong to wrong, says Guv Bose

Amid ongoing protests demanding justice for the young doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at state-run RG Kar hospital last month, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday criticised the state administration for its handling of the situation. Bose remarked that the West Bengal government is "going from wrong to wrong," emphasising that the public's lack of trust in the system has led to the recent massive protests. He said, "What I see in West Bengal today, especially in administration, is going from wrong to wrong. They should realise that two wrongs, even if they are mutually contradictory, will not constitute one right. (The) government has to act and has to take people into confidence. Punishment should be given." He further observed that the people of Bengal no longer feel they can expect justice from the government, a sentiment reflected in the widespread protests, including a candlelight procession held late into the night on Wednesday. "People should feel tha

Resume work, leave justice to SC: IMA chief Asokan to protesting doctors

Amid continued protests by medics following the R G Kar rape-murder incident, Indian Medical Association president Dr R V Asokan on Wednesday urged all doctors to resume work, leaving the job of delivering justice to the Supreme Court. In a statement, he said the rape and murder of the trainee postgraduate woman doctor at the West Bengal government-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital has moved the nation's conscience. "The anger and frustration of the entire nation is over the fact that she happened to be a budding doctor as well as that she was the only girl child of lower-middle-class parents. The entire nation has adopted her as their daughter," the IMA chief said. Referring to the protests by doctors across the country, Dr Asokan said the medical fraternity was "justifiably on the boil". Resident doctors hit the road with anger and deep sorrow, he said adding the IMA had also called for withdrawal of medical services barring emergency care for 24 hours. Subsequently, the

Kolkata medic rape-murder: People form 13 km long human chain as protest

Demanding justice for the deceased woman medic of R G Kar Hospital, thousands of people, including doctors and paramedics of private facilities, formed a 13-km human chain along an arterial city road on Tuesday, an unprecedented event in the city's history in recent years. Participants of the human chain standing on the median divider of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass between Ultadanga and Patuli - linking the northern and southern parts of the city. Since the protestors did not obstruct crossings during their one-hour stay on the road from 5 pm, this mode of agitation did not affect vehicular traffic movement along the busy road as hundreds of vehicles plied uninterrupted, a police officer said. The participants waved the tricolour and held placards which read 'For how long we have to wait for justice', 'Hang the rapists' and 'Justice for our sister'. People from all walks of life, office goers and commuters, besides people from neighbourhood pockets along the route, took part in th

Don't speak ill of protestors, says Abhishek Banerjee to TMC leaders

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday asked party leaders not to speak ill of any agitator from the medical fraternity and civil society in the wake of mounting street protests in West Bengal following the rape and murder of a woman doctor at a state-run hospital. Banerjee, the national general secretary of the party, issued a statement on his official X handle amid reports of senior party leaders making scathing remarks against protestors hitting the streets over the issue. "Public representatives across party lines need to be more HUMBLE and SYMPATHETIC. I urge everyone in @AITCofficial not to speak ill of anyone from the MEDICAL FRATERNITY OR CIVIL SOCIETY," the Diamond Harbour MP said. "Everyone has the right to protest and express themselves. This is what sets West Bengal apart from other BJP-ruled states," he added. In an apparent dig at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, he said, "We have wholeheartedly fought against the BULLDOZER MODEL AND OPPRESSI

After ex-RG Kar's principal, CBI arrests 3 more over 'financial misconduct'

The CBI on Monday arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh and three others for their alleged involvement in financial misconduct at the establishment, officials said. Within an hour after Ghosh was arrested, CBI officers picked up his security guard and two vendors who used to supply materials to the hospital where the body of a woman medic, who was raped and murdered, was found on August 9. The Calcutta High Court on August 23 ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at hospital from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. The direction came in response to a petition by former deputy superintendent of the facility, Dr Akhtar Ali, who prayed for a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into multiple counts of alleged financial misconduct at the state-run institute during the tenure of its former principal.

Kolkata rape-murder: Prominent personalities join rally demanding justice

Film director Aparna Sen, prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry and rights activists on Sunday joined thousands of people in a massive rally demanding justice for a doctor who was raped-murdered at RG Kar hospital here last month. At the end of the rally, the participants of the Mahamicchil squatted at the busy Esplanade area of the city, vowing to be there till 4am on Monday morning to press upon the government for a swift probe into the henious crime and arrest of the guilty. As the protest continued well past midnight, the air was filled with revolutionary songs like "Karar Oi Louho Kopat", "We Shall Overcome", among others. Actor Debalina Mukherjee said, "Every passing day, the movement for justice will grow fiercer until all those responsible for the gruesome incident at R G Kar are punished. We understand that there is a legal process through the courts and the CBI, but we will wait until that process is complete." Sunday night's protest was reminiscent of th

Deceased Kolkata doc's family under house arrest, claims Adhir Ranjan

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday accused the police of keeping the parents of the doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered under "house arrest". Chowdhury who visited the house of the deceased doctor and spoke to her parents, also alleged that the police had offered the father money for cremating the body quickly. "I visited the family of the deceased doctor's residence and spoke to them for a long time. The police have kept the family under house arrest. They are not allowing them to come out of the house on the pretext of various excuses. The police have created a barricade around them, the CISF have no clue about this," Chowdhury told reporters. "The Kolkata Police following the directive of the state government had offered the father money while telling him that the body of his daughter be cremated without delay," Chowdhury alleged. The body of the post-graduate trainee was found in the seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and ...

Female medics need central law for safety, say doctors at Jantar Mantar

Doctors in the national capital gathered at Jantar Mantar Saturday to protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital, asserting that without a central law to protect healthcare workers, female doctors would never feel safe during work. Protestors began gathering at Jantar Mantar from 3 pm onwards to demand justice for the victim of the incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and press the government to expedite the enactment of the Central Healthcare Protection Act, doctor associations said. Dr Deepika, a protesting doctor, told PTI, "I will never allow my daughters to become doctors here... Can you imagine that all of us female doctors are scared now? We feel fearful while working, and we need protection. Can you imagine if she was raped and murdered at her workplace?" "We want protection so that all female doctors can work again without fear," she said. Chairman of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) Rohan Krishnan said they ha

IMA again asks for central law on violence against doctors, hospitals

The IMA has written to the National Task Force (NTF), which has been mandated to formulate protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones. Stating that the Supreme Court has constituted the NTF to evolve a national consensus and to formulate protocols with due consultation of all stakeholders, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in its letter formulated its submission in three sections. The NTF was constituted the apex court in the wake of protests by doctors and healthcare professionals following the recent rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Firstly, putting forth its demand and justification for a central act on violence on doctors and hospitals, the IMA submitted its study 'Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India", its draft proposal for Central Act, dra

NHRC issues notice to Kolkata Police chief over force used during protests

The National Human Rights commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Kolkata Police commissioner over the alleged use of excessive and brutal force on August 27 on protesters, who were demonstrating to demand justice for the victim in the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case. The NHRC has sought an action-taken report from the police commissioner in two weeks. The notice was issued on Thursday following a complaint from one O P Vyas from the Bharatiya Human Rights Initiative (BHIM). In his complaint, Vyas has alleged that on August 27, during the "Nabanna Abhijan" protests in Kolkata organised by students demanding justice in the RG Kar Medical College case, "police used excessive and brutal force" on the protesters during their peaceful demonstration. "Over 200 students were arrested and subjected to brutal physical assaults, many sustaining serious injuries. This action violated their right to peaceful assembly and reflected a grave disregard for human rights. The complainan

Audio clips from RG Kar hospital to victim's parents spark controversy

Three purported audio recordings of phone calls, allegedly made by RG Kar Medical College authorities on August 9 morning to the parents of the rape-murder victim asking them to report to the hospital, hit the public domain on Thursday and sparked a fresh controversy over "insensitivity" and "disinformation" of the institute's management in breaking bad news. The changes in statements on the status of the victim made by an official in those phone calls, whose authenticity PTI has not individually verified, raise questions on whether the hospital was initially trying to cover up the ghastly crime. The caller, a woman who identified herself as the assistant superintendent of the hospital, reportedly dialed the parents of the victim from the same number thrice within a span of around 30 minutes asking their urgent presence at the facility. "I am calling from RG Kar hospital. Can you come over immediately?" the caller could be heard telling the victim's father when he picked his phone t

CM Mamata debunks allegations of 'threat' to agitating junior doctors

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that she did not threaten junior doctors at state-run hospitals, who have been continuing ceasework for 21 days now to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic. Banerjee said that some people accused her of threatening the agitating junior doctors, which is "completely false". "Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false," she said on X. Addressing a rally organised by the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad, Banerjee had on Wednesday urged the agitating junior doctors of Bengal to urgently consider returning to duty and said she doesn't want to lodge FIRs against the striking doctors in consideration of their future careers. Agitating doctors interpreted th

'If Bengal burns, Delhi will too': Mamata sparks row; INDIA bloc silent

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has heavily condemned Mamata Banerjee for her provocative and "hateful" comment saying that if violence spreads to Bengal, other states will be impacted

IMA suspends former RG Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh's membership

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday suspended the membership of former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Dr Sandip Ghosh, amid a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at the Kolkata-based institute earlier this month. The decision to suspend the IMA membership of Ghosh, who is the vice president of the association's Kolkata branch, was taken by its disciplinary committee. In an order, the Indian Medical Association said the committee constituted by IMA national president Dr R V Asokan on Wednesday suo-motu considered the rape and murder case of the postgraduate resident doctor and the subsequent developments at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The IMA general secretary along with Asokan had met the victim's parents at their home, it said. "They had put up their grievances against you (Ghosh) in dealing with the situation as well as lack of empathy and sensitivity in handling the issue in appropriate manner befitting the ...

Protesters block rail lines, halt buses after Kolkata doctor's rape, murder

Thousands of doctors, many of them on strike since the Aug. 9 crime was discovered, marched in the state's capital of Kolkata, demanding justice for the victim and better workplace safety

Over 100 Bengali artistes to write to state panel seeking safer workplace

Over a hundred female artistes associated with the Bengali film industry wrote to the state-run Tele Academy on Tuesday, seeking a safer workplace amid the outrage over the rape-murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital. Among the signatories of the letter, which was also sent to the Eastern India Motion Picture Association (EIMPA) and West Bengal Motion Picture Artistes Forum, were director Aparna Sen, actors Rupa Ganguly, Swastika Mukherjee, Paoli Dam, Sohini Sarkar, Sohini Sengupta, Bidipta Chakraborty, Chaitali Dasgupta, Anuradha Ray and Shakuntala Barua, and scriptwriter Meghatithi Banerjee. "People of West Bengal, along with the entire nation, have been shocked to their core by the recent torture and murder of a woman doctor at her workplace - RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata. In the wake of this heinous crime, it is heartening to see that the entertainment industry - theatre artists and technicians, musicians, makeup artists, dancers and choreographers, ...

Police use force as BJP protests against students' arrest during rally

Police used teargas and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse BJP leaders and supporters when they marched towards Kolkata Police headquarters Lalbazar demanding the release of students arrested during the Nabanna Abhijan rally on Tuesday. The rally was called for demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the wake of the recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at state-run R G Kar Medical College. The police action began after BJP supporters attempted to break police barricades to enter Lal Bazaar. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who led the march, fell ill after being exposed to teargas and subsequently left the scene. Earlier a BJP procession led by Majumdar was stopped from advancing towards Lal Bazar. In response, Majumdar, along with local BJP leaders, sat in protest at the barricade around 4:30 PM, demanding that the police clarify their stance on the arrests and seeking unconditional release of the students arrested during the Naban

Kolkata medic rape-murder: CBI seeks polygraph test of city police ASI

The CBI has sought permission from a Kolkata court to conduct a polygraph test on city police assistant sub-inspector Anup Dutta who was said to be close to Sanjay Roy, the arrested accused in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar medical college, officials said Tuesday. The CBI is exploring if Dutta helped Roy in any cover up of the crime, they said. According to reports, Dutta was allegedly instrumental in extending various favours to Roy, they said. The central probe agency is trying to find out if Roy told Dutta about the crime and received any help, they said. They said the court would decide the application for a polygraph test after seeking Dutta's consent on the issue. The CBI completed polygraph tests on former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh on Tuesday, the third day of subjecting him to a series of Deception Detection Tests (DDT), they said. He underwent a Layered Voice Analysis test on Saturday, followed by a polygraph test on Monday. The tes