Women Doctors

Satara woman doctor suicide: CM Fadnavis orders setting up of SIT for probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the suicide of a woman doctor in Satara district last week, an official said on Friday. The doctor, hailing from Beed district of central Maharashtra, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan on October 23. In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that sub inspector Gopal Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her. Both have been arrested. The CM, who holds the Home portfolio, has directed the state Director General of Police to constitute the SIT under a woman IPS officer immediately, the official added. The move comes amid pressure from citizens and political parties seeking justice for the deceased's kin. The victim's family had also appealed for an SIT investigation to ensure stern punishment for the culprits. Meanwhile, BJP leader Chitra Wagh thanked Fadnavis for the decision to set .

Woman doctor suicide: Rahul Gandhi speaks to her family, promises justice

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke over the phone with family members of a woman doctor who allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Satara district, assuring them of support in their fight for justice. The doctor's family members, while demanding justice for her, asked Gandhi to put pressure on the government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a probe into her death. They said it has been a week since the doctor's death and feared that evidence would be wiped out. Gandhi spoke to the woman's parents and siblings over the phone of Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal when he visited them at Kavadgaon village in Beed district. The Congress MP assured them that he would pressure the government to set up an SIT to probe the woman's death. The 28-year-old doctor was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town of Satara district on the night of October 23. The postmortem mentioned the cause as asphyxia due to hanging,

Satara woman doctor suicide: Police yet to recover phone of arrested cop

Police have yet to recover the mobile phone used by a police sub-inspector, arrested for the suicide of a female doctor posted at a government hospital in Maharashtra's Satara district, an official said on Tuesday. Suspended PSI Gopal Badane, arrested on October 25, was being questioned about his mobile phone, which can prove to be a crucial piece of evidence in the case, he said. The 28-year-old doctor, hailing from Beed district of central Maharashtra and posted at a government hospital in Satara district, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town on Thursday night (October 23). In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that PSI Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her. Police arrested both Bankar and Badane last week after a case of rape and abetment of suicide was registered against the two in Phaltan. "Badane has hidden his phone somewhere and he was being questioned about its whereabouts," said

WHO urges Taliban to let female aid workers help quake-hit Afghan women

After a deadly earthquake killed 2,200 in eastern Afghanistan, the WHO said women need female doctors, but Taliban rules stop female aid workers from travelling freely

RG Kar case: Victim's father moves HC for lawyers to visit crime scene

The father of the R G Kar hospital rape-murder victim has moved the Calcutta High Court praying for setting aside a lower court order that refused permission to his lawyers to visit the crime scene at the state-run medical institution. The petitioner claimed that he firmly believes that other persons were present along with Sanjay Roy, who has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment till the end of his natural life by the trial court for the rape and murder of the doctor, when the crime was committed on August 9 last year. The matter is likely to be taken up for hearing early next week before a single bench of the high court, his counsel said. The petitioner stated that to assist the court in discovering any material lapse in investigation, it is crucial for an independent examination of the place of occurrence. He prayed that his lawyer Phiroze Edulji along with six junior advocates be allowed to visit the place of occurrence at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital for two ho

RG Kar case: Protestors reach Howrah's Santragachi, try to breach barricade

A section of protestors taking part in a march to the West Bengal secretariat 'Nabanna' to mark the completion of one year of the brutal rape and murder of an on-duty doctor inside the state-run RG Kar hospital reached Santragachi in Howrah district on Saturday and attempted to breach the iron wall barricades set up by the city police there. As part of the 'Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan', the protestors shouted slogans for justice for the RG Kar victim and voiced their resolve to reach the state secretariat, irrespective of the blockades put up by the police. The police can fire upon us, but we are determined to reach Nabanna, where the state government must answer why justice has not been delivered to Abhaya (RG Kar victim) even after one year, a protestor was heard saying. Amid constant alerts over loudspeakers by the police urging protestors to abide by the Calcutta High Court order to maintain law and order, the demonstrators were seen scaling the 10-ft high barricades in their attempts

Parents of RG Kar victim join night vigil as students hold torch procession

Parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at R G Kar Hospital on August 9 last year joined a night-long vigil held at Shyambazar here on Friday. The vigil began after a torch procession taken out by junior doctors and general public in memory of the late medic. The torch procession, organised at the call of West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, started from College Street near the Calcutta University main campus and culminated 5 kilometres away at Shyambazar near the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. "I know that nothing will compensate the loss of our daughter. We only demand justice for her," the father of the murdered doctor said, addressing the gathering at Shyambazar junction. The father said it is unbelievable that one man could have committed such a brutal crime and alleged that there were others who were involved in the crime and conspiracy. He accused both the state and Central governments of not doing the needful to get justice for his daughter. Stating

Long hours, low safety: Over 80% of India's doctors face burnout

Over 80 per cent of doctors report mental exhaustion, with young women in smaller cities among the worst affected, shows National Doctors' Day survey

I have lost faith in India's legal system, says RG Kar victim's father

Father of the RG Kar rape and murder victim claims that the CBI is aware of the perpetrators behind his daughter's rape and murder but is withholding details, eroding his trust in the agency

Calcutta HC to hear plea for further probe into RG Kar case on March 24

The Calcutta High Court will on Monday hear a petition by the parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital seeking further probe into the crime. The lawyer representing the parents mentioned the matter before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, stating that the Supreme Court had asked them to move the designated single bench of the HC with their plea. Justice Ghosh on Thursday said that the matter will appear in Monday's list for hearing in his court as "to be mentioned". The parents in their petition have prayed for further probe by the CBI, which was entrusted with the investigation into the rape and murder that happened on August 9, by the HC. The court of Justice Ghosh had asked the parents to seek clarification from the SC, the lawyer noted. The clarification was sought since a suo motu matter with regard to the rape and murder was pending before the apex court, he said. The lawyer submitted that the Supreme Court has given the parents th

RG Kar rape-murder: Parents get daughter's death certificate after 7 months

Seven months after their daughter's rape-murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, her parents finally received her death certificate from West Bengal Health Secretary NS Nigam. Accompanied by the medical superintendent and vice principal (MSVP) of RG Kar hospital, the health secretary visited the deceased doctor's residence on Wednesday evening to deliver the original death certificate to her parents. "They needed the original death certificate. Today, I came here and handed it over to them. No discussions were held," Nigam said. The victim's father, who had been demanding the death certificate since August 9 the day of the tragic incident at the state-run institute said, "The health secretary suddenly arrived at our residence and gave us the original document." "We have been struggling to obtain it. We sent an email in January and, even after that, had to go from one department to another, but no one cooperated," he alleged. He also acknowledged receiving a link that coul

RG Kar case: HC says corruption has serious impact on public confidence

Hearing an appeal by R G Kar Medical College's former principal Sandip Ghosh seeking postponement of framing of charges in a financial irregularities case, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday observed that corruption in high places has serious impact on public confidence in the affairs of the state. The division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the special court, before which the trial in the case is to be heard, may fix a date prior to the next hearing of the matter at the high court. Ghosh and four others were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case of alleged financial irregularities at the medical establishment during his tenure as the principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Holding that the allegations are very serious, the division bench, also comprising Justice Gaurang Kanth, said that it was informed that the respondent accused persons are in judicial remand at present. "Corruption in high places has serious impact on pub

CBI moves Calcutta HC seeking death penalty for RG Kar case convict

The CBI on Friday filed an appeal before the Calcutta High Court, seeking death penalty for RG Kar hospital rape-murder case convict Sanjay Roy. A division bench, presided by Justice Debangsu Basak, said it will hear the CBI's appeal on January 27, along with a prayer by the West Bengal government seeking admission of its appeal with a similar plea. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved the bench, also comprising Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi, praying for hearing of its appeal on the claim of inadequacy of sentence given by a trial court to Roy. Representing the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar said the central agency, which investigated the case, has the right to challenge the lower court order before the high court on the ground of inadequacy of sentence. The Sealdah court on January 20 had sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, ..

RG Kar rape-murder: Sealdah Court finds accused Sanjay Roy guilty

RG Kar rape-murder: Nationwide protests had erupted after a trainee docto was found dead in the hospital's seminar room on August 9

Probe incomplete, many still free: RG Kar victim's parents ahead of verdict

A day before a court in Kolkata is set to deliver its verdict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, the parents of the victim doctor alleged that the investigation is half-done as others involved in the crime are roaming free. Her parents said they will continue to fight until justice is delivered to their daughter whose body was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on August 9 last year, sparking nationwide outrage and prolonged protests. Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was charged with committing the crime and was arrested on August 10. Additional district and sessions judge of Sealdah court, where the trial of the case concluded on January 9, is scheduled to pass its judgement on Saturday. "Sanjay (Roy) is guilty, and tomorrow's verdict will be against him. But what about other criminals who are still not caught? I can see them roaming freely. I have seen them loitering in the hospital. So, the investigation is half-done," she told

SC approval needed for fresh probe: HC tells RG Kar victim's parents

RG Kar Medical College rape-and-murder case: Parents alleged that the CBI mishandled evidence, urging the court to order a fresh investigation

Sensex plummets, Jio’s IPO debut, Uttarakhand bus tragedy, and more

Markets in India started November with a decline of nearly 2 per cent, plunging 1,500 points to 78,233.

RG Kar rape-murder: Jr doctors hold torch rally to CBI office in Kolkata

Agitating junior doctors along with common people on Wednesday evening organised a torch rally in Kolkata, demanding justice for the medic who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here on August 9. Representatives of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum and several civil society organisations took out the procession from the West Bengal Medical Council's office in Salt Lake's Sector 3 to the CBI's office at the CGO Complex in Sector 1. Shouting slogans like 'We want justice', the participants demanded that the CBI complete its investigation into the rape-murder case quickly. "It's almost three months since the incident happened. The CBI is still investigating the matter. We want them to quicken their probe," one of the agitating doctors said. At the rally, one of the doctors held a clock in his hand as a symbol to demonstrate that time is passing since the crime took place at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, while others held torche

Bengal govt forms task force to ensure safety of doctors, health workers

The West Bengal government on Tuesday constituted a state-level task force to ensure safety and security of healthcare professionals in the state and improve the quality of services, a notification said. The task force was set up after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised junior doctors of such a measure during a meeting, he said. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant will be the chairperson of the task force, while Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, Health Secretary NS Nigam and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma will be part of it. "In pursuance of the Government of West Bengal's commitment to enhancing the quality of healthcare services across the state, and in the view of the safety, security, and grievances of healthcare professionals, the state government hereby constitutes a state-level task force," an order signed by Pant stated. It mentioned that there would be two representatives from senior and junior resident doctors, one

RG Kar case: CBI cites blood stain, DNA report as evidence in chargesheet

The CBI has listed 11 pieces of evidence, such as reports of DNA and blood samples, in its charge sheet to hold arrested Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the "sole accused" in the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the RG Kar hospital here. The agency mentioned the presence of his DNA on the body of the victim, short hair, blood stains of the victim, injuries on his body, the CCTV footage and the location of his mobile phone as per the call detail records as evidence against Roy. The charge sheet, a copy of which is with PTI, also mentioned that Roy sustained "blunt force injuries consistent with the marks of resistance/struggle by the victim". Roy was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10. "His (Roy's) presence in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and also at the third floor of the emergency building where SoC (scene of the crime) lies, during the intervening night of August 8 and 9 is proved by way of CCTV footage. His presence is proved by way of the location ..