RG Kar Case: Bengal Doctors Take Out Torch Rallies Across Kolkata Ahead Of SC Hearing

Image: PTI

KOLKATA — Junior doctors from various government hospitals, along with community members, took to the streets on Sunday, holding torch rallies across the city to demand justice for a doctor murdered at R G Kar Hospital. The demonstrations that also called for improved security measures for medical staff in state-run facilities, came a day before the Supreme Court hearing on the case.

The rallies were organized from multiple key locations, including R G Kar Hospital, Sagore Dutta Hospital, SSKM Hospital, Calcutta Medical College, and Jadavpur in South Kolkata. Participants stressed the urgent need for justice for the victim, a postgraduate trainee, while advocating for enhanced safety protocols for healthcare workers.

On September 27, junior doctors had called on the public to participate in protests statewide, expressing solidarity ahead of the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for Monday. After a month-long agitation, these doctors returned to work but indicated a potential return to a total “cease work” if the state government fails to guarantee their safety during the court proceedings.

The rallies converged at significant city intersections, including Esplanade, Shyambazar, Park Circus, and Gariahat. Organized by the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, an umbrella organization representing medics from various medical college hospitals, the events highlighted the need to eliminate a "threat culture" in medical institutions, where students reportedly face intimidation.

At Sagore Dutta Hospital, junior doctors conducted a torch and candle march following an incident on Friday night, in which outsiders allegedly assaulted medical staff after a patient’s death. This incident prompted the medics to strike, demanding better security measures.

As participants marched from Sagore Dutta Hospital to Dunlop Crossing on the outskirts of Kolkata, they carried candles and torches, illustrating their demand for safety and justice. The protests were ignited by the alleged assault on three doctors and three nurses at the hospital, which the medics claimed underscored the government's failure to fulfill promises of security.

In response to the escalating situation, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Sunday afternoon to review security arrangements ahead of the Supreme Court hearing. He interacted with police personnel and conducted a tour of the hospital's emergency department.

The backdrop of the protests includes a troubling incident on August 15, when a mob vandalized the hospital's emergency department, following a Calcutta High Court order to transfer the rape-murder investigation from Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The city police are currently investigating this incident.

The Calcutta High Court, addressing allegations of a threatening environment in medical colleges, directed the state government on September 26 to file an affidavit responding to claims made in a public interest litigation (PIL). The petitioners have alleged multiple issues, including intimidation, sale of answer keys for examinations, bribery, corruption, and sexual harassment within state-run medical institutions.