On Thursday (15th August) night, a mob of 50-odd men laid siege at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The goons carried out attacks against the protesting doctors demanding justice for the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor.
In videos that have now surfaced on social media, the mob was seen vandalising the hospital premises, damaging police vehicles and physically attacking doctors present there.
Violence breaks out outside RG Kar hospital in Kolkata, crowds storm the emergency ward, reports @Journo_Rajesh on @IndiaToday: pic.twitter.com/9FtHYMJc8R
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 14, 2024
The development occurred within hours of protestors hitting the streets in West Bengal to ‘reclaim the night’ and make public spaces safe for women.
The mob carried out vandalism at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital without hesitation despite a significant police presence at the facility. The attackers were also involved in stone pelting.
Truck me aae the bhar ke …doctors ko Marne #RGKarHospital pic.twitter.com/3WgUJwvGM0
— Dr Syed Faizan Ahmad (@drsfaizanahmad) August 14, 2024
According to reports, the mob entered were standing outside the hospital and then suddenly barged into the premises. They broke into the emergency ward of the hospital and destroyed the furniture and medicine stocks.
The police reportedly went into hiding and took shelter in bathrooms and other hideouts. “It has happened that the cops entered the bathroom and asked us to provide space to hide),” a nurse told ABP Ananda.
She added, “Now when we asked authorities why this happened, they told us that our safety was our responsibility.” A cop told the Hindustan Times, “Several police personnel guarding the agitation site and the hospital were injured by brickbats.”
"They are beating us continuously. They will beat us. We came here for the protests."
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) August 14, 2024
LOOK AT THIS YOUNG WOMAN CRYING HELPLESSLY SAYING THAT THE MOB IS BEATING UP PEOPLE. THIS IS AN UTTER SHAME FOR THE TMC GOVERNMENT.#MamataMustResign https://t.co/gZ2yG82Ek3 pic.twitter.com/5wCqrOVm3P
While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, a senior doctor named Subhendu Mullick informed, “A mob of miscreants entered the hospital. The agitating doctors were attacked and had to flee. They even tried to enter the building where the junior doctor was raped and murdered. Police stood as mute spectators.”
According to the protesting doctors, the mayhem unleashed by the goons lasted for about an hour. A young woman told Republic Bangla, “They are beating us continuously. They will beat us. We came here for the protests.”
Why mob is climbing inside girls hostel ?????
— Dr Syed Faizan Ahmad (@drsfaizanahmad) August 14, 2024
😡😡😡😡😡 so terrified …please help help help 🙏🙏🙏🙏 save doctors of RG kar @narendramodi @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/QqjT8axZi3
A junior doctor named Aniket Maity stated, “We could see the troublemakers assembling outside the hospital much before the attack started and requested the police to take steps but they did nothing. When the rampage started the policemen rushed inside the hospital premises to take shelter.”
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal has accused online media outlets and social media accounts of instigating the unprovoked attack by the mob.
“Unfounded information and false allegations were being constantly spread on social media. This led to the attack. I am saying as commissioner of police that no effort was made at any level to shied anyone. We promptly arrested the prime suspect. We said there could be others and investigations were on. But there was a continuous effort to malign the police,” he claimed.
#WATCH | A trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Hasan Mushtaq says, "We were to leave at 11 PM for a protest march (from the protesting site). But, there was a group of people outside the campus, they were raising the slogan – 'We want justice', but they weren't… https://t.co/NroDxzzKqp pic.twitter.com/MugnkDjmKu
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
In the meantime, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of orchestrating the attack.
He tweeted, “Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She thinks that she is the most shrewd person in the whole world and people won’t be able to figure out the cunning plan that her goons appearing as protestors would mix with the crowd and carry out vandalism inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.”
“They were given safe passage by the Police, who either ran away or looked the other way so that these lumpens would enter the hospital premises and destroy areas containing crucial evidence so that it doesn’t get picked up by the CBI. As they were dumb TMC hooligans they couldn’t execute the plan well and revealed their identity when they vandalised the Dharna Manch of the Resident Doctors, PGTs & Internees,” Adhikari emphasised.
Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 14, 2024
She thinks that she is the most shrewd person in the whole world and people won't be able to figure out the cunning plan that her goons appearing as protestors would… pic.twitter.com/1CPI2f1KUr
According to Bengali media reports, 4 people have been detained so far in connection to the incident.
