R G Kar doctors, interns expelled over allegations of threats, sexual misconduct, extortion among others: Report

Amidst the scandals and protests after the rape-murder of a female trainee doctor, the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Saturday expelled ten people, including doctors, house staff, and interns.

Allegedly, the expelled personnel were involved in threatening to fail students in examinations, forcing other juniors to join a particular political party, sexual harassment and misconduct, forceful collection of money, lodging of false FIRs against students and physical violence, a report in the Indian Express said.

On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old doctor female trainee doctor was raped and murdered in the R G Kar campus, an incident that brought the college under the scanner of the entire nation and has been marred with various protest and investigations, including the current fast-unto-death protests of the junior doctors.

According to Express, Ashish Pandey, a house staff member close to now jailed former R G Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, was among those expelled.

The expulsions came after a special college council meeting on Saturday, following a report from the Institutional Enquiry Committee, found the staff and students guilty and decided to expel them until further notice.

A list of those against whom there is “substantial evidence of sexual harassment against women” has also been forwarded to the Internal Complaints Committee.

According to the order in Express, the doctors and medical students were found to be guilty of

• threatening to fail others in university exams

• threatening others with ouster from hostel

• long hours of physical and mental torture

• sexual harassment and misconduct

• forcing others to join a particular political party and attend its rallies

• forcing students, irrespective of sex, to attend boys’ common room to face “DIASING” (physical and mental torture)

• forcing juniors to buy drugs and alcohol at odd hours of night

• forcing them to perform obscene acts at boys’ common room

• forceful collection of money for college events without any audit

• forceful exchange of intern/house staff duties for money

• threatening to withhold internship completion,

• lodging of false FIRs against students

• some as serious as sexual assault, physical violence on targeted students of Manicktala Hostel at midnight

• use of abusive language even in the name of parents.

The explosions stem from the written complaints of a section of junior doctors of “threat culture” on the campus.

Express reported that, acting upon the complaints, the college on September 10 sent notices to 51 doctors, house staff, and interns for allegedly engaging in behaviour that promotes a culture of intimidation.

They were then called before an inquiry committee, who investigated and submitted a report to the college authorities, which led to the special college council meeting that expelled the 10 people.