Medical student and doctors across West Bengal are protesting against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor in the city’s RG Kar Medical College Hospital on Friday morning.
The victim, a second-year postgraduate student from Panihati in North 24 Parganas district, was found dead under suspicious circumstances, partially clothed, in the seminar hall of the hospital’s respiratory medicine department.
The police have established a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. The preliminary post-mortem report indicated that there was blood in her eyes, and there were injury marks on multiple parts of the body, including the hands, fingers, legs, and stomach.
Following their initial investigation, authorities suspect the young woman was brutally tortured before the crime.
The police has arrested one person, who has reportedly admitted to the crime. The accused is believed to be a civic volunteer in Kolkata Police. Reportedly, the arrested youth suffers from a mental disorder, which is currently under investigation. Even after being apprehended, the accused has reportedly showed no remorse for his actions.
However, the protesting students believe the accused has been made a scapegoat. “We want justice for our friend and the way police is conducting investigation is questionable,” said Dr Priya Lakra, a 3rd postgraduate student in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
“We believe there could be others involved because it was not possible for one person to commit this heinous crime,” she added.
Dr Mrinmoy Basak, another protesting student, said, “The culprits must be given exemplary punishment. All doctors in medical colleges must be provided adequate security.”
A group of doctors, under the banner of the Joint Platform of Doctors West Bengal, also took part in the protest inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Dr Shrayon Ghosh, MD Pharamcology, said, “We condemn this heinous crime. We want justice without any agenda and security for our female doctors who also work in the night shift.”
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to the parents of the victim and assured them that culprits would be brought to book. She also mentioned that they were free to approach any central agencies if they did not have faith in the state police.
The incident has triggered outrage from all sections of the society in Kolkata. Except for the emergency wards, medical students and doctors of RG Kar Medical College Hospital have called for strike in all other departments.
