Kolkata Rape and Murder: Impasse Continues, Ghosh, SHO Arrested for “Hiding Evidence”
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 14: Even as the deadlock over the cease-work by the junior doctors in West Bengal continued with the protestors again refusing to hold discussions with the chief minister Mamata Banerjee without live-streaming, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested RG Kar Medical College and Hospital’s ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and a police officer in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the 31-year old trainee postgraduate doctor in the hospital seminar room on August 9.
Dr Ghosh, who was earlier arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the state-run hospital during his tenure as the principal was also placed under arrest for alleged delay in the registration of the FIR and missing evidence in the postgraduate trainee doctor’s brutal rape and murder.
Dr Ghosh is already in the judicial custody till September 23 while the CBI also arrested Tala police station SHO Abhijit Mondol who initially investigated the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. DR Ghosh and Mondol were arrested by the CBI for allegedly misleading investigators and trying to hide evidence.
On August 26, the CBI had conducted a second round of polygraph tests on the ex-principal as part of their probe into the rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run hospital. The Calcutta High Court has granted the CBI three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation, which is to be presented on September 17.
For the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, Ms Banerjee kept waiting for the agitating junior doctors to attend the meeting to resolve the crisis but the medicos reaching the doorstep but refusing to enter the venue sticking to their stand that meeting must be live telecast. No amount cajoling that the issue was sensitive and sub-judice and no discussion on the incident could be discussed in the public without the permission of the Supreme Court could convince the protesting doctors.
Ms Banerjee on Saturday appealed to the agitating doctors, who had arrived at her residence for talks, to join the meeting, amid their demand for live-streaming of the discussions. “I would request you all to come inside and attend the meeting. As the matter is before the court, we cannot allow live streaming. I will video-record the meeting and will provide you with a copy only after permission from the Supreme Court,” she said, while appealing to students to come inside and not to get drenched in rain.
“Today, you said that you want a meeting, so I have been waiting. Why are you people insulting me like this? Please don’t insult me like this. Earlier on the three occasions, I have been waiting but you people didn’t come,” she said. Banerjee was seen waiting at her residence to meet the delegation of protesting junior doctors. On the other hand, the doctors who reached the CM’s residence, claimed that they are waiting for the chief minister to meet the delegation, sources said.
According to photographs and information shared by the state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee along with DGP Rajeev Kumar and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant were waiting at her residence for the junior doctors to join the meeting. But the students claimed that they demanded live-streaming or video recording of the meeting, but just like Thursday the demand is not being accepted by the authorities.
Banerjee scheduled a meeting with protesting junior doctors at her residence on Saturday to hold talks to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse. Only 15 members from the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front were allowed to attend the meeting with the chief minister. “We saw that the meeting was called in her residence. We will go there and come back here then inform you all,” one of the doctors, who were part of the protest said.
The doctors earlier in an email told Bengal chief minister that they want another meeting with her hours after she made a surprise visit to the site where they were protesting but demanded another meeting with her. “We are more than willing to have a discussion in your esteemed presence with adequate representations and proper transparency as agreed by both the parties,” the doctors said in an emailed statement.
They said they take Mamata Banerjee’s visit as an ‘exceptional goodwill gesture’ and a ‘welcome step’. They said the meeting will bring ‘collective clarity of our five point demands for which we have been protesting peacefully for the last thirty five days’.
“We are more than willing to have a discussion in your esteemed presence with adequate representations and proper transparency as agreed by both the parties. We are eagerly awaiting for your positive response to end this impasse,” West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front said, but again refused to attend the meeting when convened hanging on to their demand for live-telecast that had been turned down every time because of the matter being sub-judice.
