Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Protesting doctors question Mamata's 7-day deadline to police

Kolkata: Junior doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Monday questioned why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set a seven-day deadline for solving the rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee, asserting they would continue their strike until their demands are met.

Banerjee earlier in the day asserted that her government would transfer the case to the CBI if the police failed to solve it by next Sunday.

Despite Banerjee’s promise of a transparent investigation, the protesters criticised the delay, demanding a judicial inquiry, capital punishment for the culprits, and adequate compensation for the victim’s family.

They also called for an apology from Kolkata Police claiming rumours are being spread about the investigation and demanded that all senior officials of the hospital be removed and not reassigned elsewhere.

Initially, police had suspected it to be a suicide, but later changed their version.

"Why is the investigation delayed till Sunday? We are not happy with the probe. Our demands are clear. We want a judicial inquiry into the matter and capital punishment for the culprits. The family of the doctor must be well compensated," an agitating junior doctor said.

Talking to reporters outside the victim's house, Banerjee said the principal of the hospital, Sandip Ghosh, has resigned from the post.

"He has spoken about the abuses hurled at him (after the incident). We have shifted him to another department. We have also removed the MSVP (medical superintendent and vice principal) due to negligence. The head of the chest medicine department and Kolkata Police’s ACP in charge of RG Kar hospital’s security have also been removed," she said.

Ghosh was named the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital sparking another controversy as agitating junior doctors there locked the doors of the chamber meant for the principal.

Dr Suhrita Paul was replaced by Ghosh at RGKMCH, the order said.

"We are stunned that Sandip Ghosh has been reinstated as the principal of the CNMC, just to add fuel to the fire. At the same time, Dr Suhrita Paul has been appointed as RGKMC principal in this ultra-sensitive moment," Dr Punyabrata Gun, one of the convenors of the Joint Platform of Doctors, WB, said.

He alleged that Paul was removed from the chair of VC of WBUHS a few months back because of financial irregularities.

It seems efforts are on to frustrate the entire system, claimed Dr Hiralal Konar, the other joint convenor of the forum.

Over the past three days, junior doctors had been attending only to emergency duties, but as of Monday morning, they stopped that too.

"We will continue our protest till justice is served and the state ensures foolproof security for all doctors and healthcare workers," said a protesting junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place.

The body of the woman postgraduate trainee was found in a seminar hall at the hospital on Friday morning, and a civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime.

The students also demanded that the post-mortem examination report of the victim and footage of the CCTV installed near the seminar hall be made public.

The state government has cancelled the leave of all senior doctors to handle the influx of patients, as Mondays typically see a high volume in outpatient departments.

"Our senior doctors are on duty, and we hope they will handle the patient influx. They have been instructed to work until the situation stabilises," an official told PTI.

Support for the striking doctors has come from across the country.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association of India (FORDA) has endorsed the strike and called for a nationwide halt of elective services, while the West Bengal Doctors Forum has appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for an impartial inquiry and increased security for healthcare workers.

Facing backlash over the rape and murder of a doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Ghosh resigned from his post after junior doctors demanded his removal for failing to provide security to the staff.

Meanwhile, on Monday, police spoke to seven doctors, who were on duty with the deceased woman on Thursday night, at the Kolkata Police's Lalbazar headquarters, an officer said.

Out of these seven doctors, four had their dinner with the deceased woman, he said.

The police also spoke to five other persons including a woman who were known to the arrested accused.

"Tomorrow we have summoned the assistant professor who had telephoned the parents of the victim and the police informing them about the death," the police officer said.