As protests have erupted in the entire country over the brutal rape and murder of 32-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has announced protests demanding punishment for the culprit. Notably, the govt run hospital had tried everything to hide the crime, labelling it as suicide and ‘renovating’ the crime scene.
Mamata Banerjee announced that on 17 August, her party will organise a protest march in all the blocks demanding the punishment of the criminal. Then on 18 August, there will be a demonstration in all the blocks and on 19th August, on the day of Raksha Bandhan, a program to demand capital punishment of the guilty will be organised.
As the case has been handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court, the CM demanded that the CBI should “ensure justice within next Sunday”.
The Trinamool Congress chief said she will hold a rally from Moulali to Dharmtala in Kolkata on August 17. She said, “I want the accused to be hanged. I hope the CBI will give justice within next Sunday.”
Earlier on August 12, Mamata Banerjee had told the state police that the case would be handed over to CBI if they can’t crack the case by Sunday, 18 August. But even before that deadline on 11 August, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to CBI. Mamata Banerjee also welcomed the Calcutta High Court order.
The CM also accused the opposition BJP and CPI(M) of running a malicious campaign against her government over the incident. “What have we not done? What action did we not take? As soon as I came to know of the incident, I spoke to the police commissioner and spoke to the parents,” Mamata Banerjee said.
Notably, while Mamata Banerjee wants CBI to hang the culprit by Sunday, her govt is accused of shielding the culprit in the case. After the semi-nude body of PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on 9th August, the hospital administration told her family that she had committed suicide. It is believed that the college administration tried to cover up the crime by terming it as a suicide.
Later the autopsy report confirmed sexual assault on the victim, apart from multiple injury marks on the body.
But the suspected attempt to protect the culprit continued even after that. The medical college authority demolished the walls of the Chest Medicine Dept, where the girl was raped and murdered, in the name of renovation. BJP has alleged that the state was trying to tamper with the evidence in the case by breaking the walls.
In another shocking development, the principal was reinstated in a plum post after he said that the woman died by suicide. Dr Sandip Ghosh resigned from the post of principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Monday amid massive protests over the rape and murder. But he was immediately appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) on the same day.
The Calcutta High Court strongly objected to this and ordered him to submit his resignation and go on leave.
Notably, it is alleged that Dr Sandip Ghosh has close ties with the TMC. In May last year, he was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. But he locked the principal’s room, and prevented the new principal from joining duty. The state govt then revoked the transfer order within 2 days. Then in September 2023, he was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital from RG Kar Medical College. But he was transferred back to RG Kar Medical College within a month.
The High Court transferred the case to CBI because it was not satisfied with the progress made by the state police under the Mamata Banerjee government. And now the same Mamata Banerjee has announced protests demanding quick justice from CBI.
