The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) held a march in Kolkata on Thursday, marking five months since the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. The rally, from College Square to Shyambazar, was followed by a nightlong sit-in protest demanding justice for the victim.
The junior doctors and other participants in the protest, including left activists, questioned the role of West Bengal government, the CBI and the Supreme Court of India for the delay in delivery of justice.
The Supreme Court is hearing all the cases, including the rape and murder and financial irregularities, related to RG Kar. The trial of the sole accused in the rape and murder case, Sanjoy Ray, is going on at a local court in Kolkata and the verdict could be announced on January 18.
“We had high hopes from the CBI and the Supreme Court. But we feel they have failed us,” said Dr. Debashish Halder of RG Kar’s anaesthesia department, questioning the investigation done by the central agency and the apex court’s suo motu hearing process.
The protesters refuse the CBI’s claim that only one person was involved in the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. “The latest CFSL report shows the presence of DNA in the victim’s body which neither belongs to her nor Sanjoy Ray,” said Dr. Aniket Mahato of RG Kar and a leading face of WBJDF.
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He continued, “Also, the CBI investigation is yet to establish the motive of the crime. Even if we accept that only Sanjoy Ray raped and killed our colleague, the question still remains that why did he do it?”
The junior doctors questioned why the state government was withholding permission to the CBI, preventing the central agency from taking action against two of the five individuals named in the financial irregularities case who are state government employees.