LIVEKolkata Rape-Murder Case Updates: Will take necessary steps to provide relief to flood-affected people in Bengal, say doctors

Will take necessary steps to provide medical relief to flood-affected people in Bengal: Agitating doctors

Breaking | Doctors decide to end protest in front of Swasthya Bhavan from tomorrow, say will resume work from September 21

The agitating doctors have said that they will resume emergency, essential services partially at state-run hospitals in Bengal from Saturday, September 21.

-PTI

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Junior doctors allege police pressure as decorators dismantle setup at protest site

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors on Thursday alleged that decorators were removing tents, bamboo shafts and pedestal fans from the protest site in front of Swasthya Bhawan after they were allegedly pressurised by the police to do so.

The police, however, denied these allegations as baseless.

The agitating doctors said that around midnight, decorators, who had themselves donated tarpaulin, beds, tents and pedestal fans, were seen removing those from the sit-in site outside the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake.

A junior doctor claimed that there was confusion when decorators began opening the tents, but they were assured that these items would be replaced soon.

"All arrangements for the sit-in are being funded by the public. Some decorators volunteered to provide us with tents, fans, bamboo shafts, and makeshift beds. When we contacted them about why they were taking down the items, they said they would replace these soon as they needed to use these items for making Durga Puja marquees," a junior doctor said on Wednesday night.

However, on Thursday afternoon, the junior doctors claimed that the decorators were removing materials under pressure from the police.

-PTI

WATCH | Ex-MSVP of R G Kar Hospital Bulbul Mukherjee brought to CBI office in Kolkata

'We will keep protesting until we get anything in written': Agitating doctors

RG Kar impasse: Medics send draft of meeting's key points to Bengal govt, await response

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors on Thursday submitted to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant a draft of the key points of their meeting with the West Bengal government last night and were awaiting the state's response.

The e-mail, detailing the points which were discussed and agreed upon between the two sides and also those which weren’t, was sent as per the state’s requirement based on which the government is expected to issue directives, the doctors said.

The talks between junior doctors and officials of the state government on Wednesday night failed to resolve the impasse between the two sides. Medics have been protesting for the past 40 days since the brutal torture and killing of a postgraduate trainee doctor at R G Kar hospital came to light on August 9.

Doctors alleged that the state refused to provide written minutes of the meeting and announced they will continue with their agitation and 'cease work' movement till the government issues written directives on safety and security concerns of doctors in state-run hospitals as agreed in the meeting.

"While the talks went smoothly, the government refused to hand over signed and written minutes of the issues which were discussed. We are feeling let down and disappointed with the government's attitude," Dr Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating doctors, said after coming out of the meeting.

-PTI

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WATCH | New Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma visits R G Kar hospital

Newly appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma visits RG Kar hospital

Kolkata: Newly-appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma on Thursday visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on August 9, sparking nationwide protests and prompting junior doctors of West Bengal to launch 'cease work'.

Accompanied by Dipak Sarkar, who has replaced Abhishek Gupta as Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division), Verma stayed at the hospital premises for over 30 minutes where he visited the scene of crime on the second floor of the Emergency block and met hospital authorities at the administrative building of the state-run tertiary healthcare facility.

Verma's visit to the hospital followed his meeting with officers at three neighbourhood police stations, namely Cossipore police station, Sinthi PS and Tala PS. RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is under the jurisdiction of Tala police station.

-PTI

TMC MLA Sudipto Roy appears before ED in relation to R G Kar case

Kolkata: TMC MLA Sudipto Roy appeared before the ED here on Thursday for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, official sources said.

Roy is president of the West Bengal Medical Council and also holds charge of the RG Kar Patients' Welfare Committee. He was earlier questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also probing into the alleged irregularities.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the Salt Lake area around 1 pm.The premises of the MLA from Sreerampur in Hooghly district, apart from that of some others, was also searched by the ED on Tuesday.

-PTI

ED summons TMC MLA for questioning in R G Kar case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned TMC MLA Sudipto Roy for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the Kolkata-based R G Kar Hospital and Medical College, official sources said Thursday.

Roy is the president of the West Bengal Medical Council and also holds charge of the R G Kar Patient's Welfare Committee. He has been questioned by the CBI in this case as it is also probing the alleged irregularities.

The premises of the MLA from Serampore apart from that of some others, was searched hy the ED on Tuesday.

Roy has been asked to appear at the ED office in Kolkata on Thursday for questioning in the case, the sources said. (PTI)

CPI(M) youth leader Minakshi appears before CBI in connection with R G Kar probe

West Bengal state secretary of DYFI, Minakshi Mukherjee, appeared before the CBI's Salt Lake office on Thursday in connection with the investigation into the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is the youth wing of the CPI(M).

"I will cooperate with the CBI officers in every way," Mukherjee said as she arrived at the agency's office following her return from Raiganj in north Bengal early this morning.

Mukherjee had met the parents of the deceased woman medic at the RG Hospital on August 9, hours after her body was recovered from the seminar hall of the medical establishment.

The CPI(M) repeatedly claimed that there was resistance to the swift cremation of the doctor's body primarily due to the Left youth leader's efforts.

On the same night, Mukherjee was seen blocking the police hearse, which was carrying the body of the deceased woman doctor from the RG Kar hospital. (PTI)

Suspended Tala OC, ex-R G Kar principal taken for medical examination from CBI office in Kolkata

TMC's Sircar quits over Mamata govt's handling of R G Kar case

Jawhar Sircar, who had questioned the TMC government in West Bengal over steps taken after the Kolkata rape-murder incident, on Thursday resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership.

According to official sources, Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar has accepted his resignation as Rajya Sabha member with immediate effect.

Sircar had recently written to his party head and state chief minister Mamata Banerjee describing the steps taken by her government in handling the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital "too little and quite late".

He had also announced that he would quit politics altogether.

Following Sircar's resignation, the Trinamool Congress now has 12 members in the upper house. (PTI)

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R G KAR impasse: Medics to continue strike after 2nd round of talks remain inconclusive

The second round of talks between junior doctors and officials of the West Bengal government on Wednesday failed to break the medics' strike over the RG Kar issue, following the state's refusal to give written minutes of the meeting, the doctors alleged.

After the meeting, the medics announced they will continue with their agitation and 'cease work' movement till the government issues written directives on the safety of doctors in state-run hospitals as agreed in the meeting.

CBI questions senior govt doctor in RG Kar hospital case

The CBI on Wednesday questioned a senior government doctor in connection with its investigation into the rape-murder of the medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Dr Anjan Adhikari, the medical superintendent-cum-vice principal (MSVP) of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, was questioned by the CBI at its office in the CGO Complex in Salt Lake, they said.

He was summoned for questioning after CBI officers found his phone number in the call list of TMC MLA Sudipto Roy, who is also the chairman of the patient welfare committee of the RG Kar hospital, they added.

Via PTI

Talks between Bengal govt, docs fail to resolve stalemate

The second round of talks between agitating junior doctors and officials of the West Bengal government failed to resolve the impasse due to the RG Kar issue on Wednesday night despite the meeting taking place on a "positive note", following the state government's refusal to hand over written minutes of the talks, the doctors alleged.

The stirring medics announced that they would continue with their agitation and 'cease work' till the government issues written directives on the safety and security measures for doctors in state-run hospitals as agreed in the talks.

Via PTI