Kolkata Rape and Murder: Congress WB President Stopped from Entering RG Kar Hospital

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Aug 31: The police on Saturday prevented the West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from entering the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata where a protest is going for the last three weeks against the brutal rape and murder of an on-duty trainee postgraduate doctor in the hospital premises on August 9.

Mr Chowdhury arrived at the hospital with a group of his supporters to meet the medical students on strike but was prevented by the police on grounds of threat to disrupt law and order. Mr Chowdhury later said, “I have met the family members of the victim at their residence. I met them on August 14, and have met them again today. I have assured them that the entire nation is with them and they shouldn’t lose hope.”

The West Bengal government on Saturday moved to the Supreme Court to challenge the bail granted by the Calcutta High Court to Sayan Lahiri of Chhatra Samaj, who was arrested in connection with the violence during the “Nabanna Abhijan,” the march to seize the state secretariat building in protest against the medical college incident earlier this week.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court had directed the Kolkata Police to release Lahiri. In response, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has sought a stay on this decision. The matter is expected to be mentioned before the Supreme Court on Monday for urgent listing.

While granting bail to Lahiri, the high court had cautioned the police against using excessive force to “terrorise protesters” and stated that Lahiri could not be held liable for organising the protests simply due to his vocal role. Lahiri was one of the convenors of the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ on August 27, which turned violent after the police barricaded the approach roads to prevent the protesters from storming the government office building.

Parts of Kolkata and Howrah became virtual battlefields on the afternoon of August 27 due to clashes between the police and protesters. In several locations, the police had to resort to lathi-charges, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse protesters heading towards the state Secretariat in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district, adjacent to Kolkata.

Ahead of the upcoming special session of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the Trinamool Congress has stepped up the campaign demanding capital punishment for those convicted of rape. The Assembly Session has been convened to pass legislation along similar lines.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) held a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday demanding justice for the Kolkata rape victim and to press the Centre to expedite the enactment of the long-pending Central Healthcare Protection Act, which seeks to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals across the country. Our fight will continue until justice is served,” Manish Jangra, founder and chief advisor of FAIMA, said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the National Task Force (NTF), which has been mandated to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.

A civic volunteer of Kolkata Police was arrested on Saturday for allegedly riding into a barricaded area with his motorcycle and injuring one of Rabindra Bharati University students who were holding a demonstration there against the RG Kar medical college incident. The incident occurred at 2 AM when the civic volunteer of the Sinthi Police Station entered the barricaded area, where a night vigil seeking justice for the deceased doctor was going on, and hit one of the agitating students, he said. The accused was in an inebriated condition when the incident took place on B T Road at Sinthi crossing near the varsity in the northern part of the city, one of the protesting students said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, “The State government tried to create confusion among the public and destroy the evidence…The State government is trying to obstruct the enquiry and save the accused. The State police is not coordinating with CBI…”

The state BJP also slammed the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling her a “liar” and asked her to explain why she has not done anything to ensure implementation of existing “stringent” rules and regulations to protect women in her state.

This came after Ms Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on crimes against women. She also sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder. “It is incumbent on Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government hasn’t done anything for implementing the stringent rules and regulations, which exist for protecting women and girls,” BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said in a post on X. “Stop writing letters. Answer the questions. You are accountable,” he added.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued a notice to the Kolkata Police Commissioner over the alleged use of “excessive and brutal force” on the “Nabanna Abhijan” marchers on August 27. The NHRC has sought an action-taken report from the Police Commissioner in two weeks.

The notice was issued following a complaint from one O.P. Vyas from the Bharatiya Human Rights Initiative (BHIM). In his complaint, Mr Vyas has alleged that on August 27, during the “Nabanna Abhijan” protests in Kolkata organised by students demanding justice in the RG Kar Medical College case, “police used excessive and brutal force” on the protesters during their peaceful demonstration.

“Over 200 students were arrested and subjected to brutal physical assaults, many sustaining serious injuries. This action violated their right to peaceful assembly and reflected a grave disregard for human rights. The complainant requests that steps be taken to ensure the protection of the students’ rights and to provide compensation to the victims,” the complaint reads. Perusing the complaint, the NHRC has said the allegations, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the right to peaceful assembly.

Further, the Supreme Court has also observed that it becomes a more serious problem when taking recourse to such an action, “police indulges in excesses and crosses the limit by using excessive force, thereby becoming barbaric or by not halting even after controlling the situation and continuing its tirade”. This results in violation of human rights and human dignity, the commission has said. “Therefore, issue notice to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, calling for an action taken report in the matter within two weeks,” it has added.