Kolkata Doctor Rape Case: RG Kar Seminar Hall Broken Down; Cal HC Orders To Transfer Case To CBI

Resident and junior doctors have been staging protests across the nation against the rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The resident doctors' strike at government hospitals came after a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA).

Grim details revealed by autopsy have surfaced in reports in the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case. The postmortem report of the trainee doctor, found dead at the seminar hall of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday, has revealed that the victim was throttled before being smothered to death.

According to the four-page autopsy report accessed by India Today, the victim's thyroid cartilage was broken due to strangling and a deep wound was found in her private parts caused by "perverted sexuality" and "genital torture", the four-page report said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has demanded detailed probe into the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor in Kolkata.

The Association wrote to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, seeking a special central law to curb attacks and violence against doctors.

"The absence of a special central enactment is one of the reasons. We kindly request you to reconsider introducing the Draft Legislation "The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019, incorporating the amendments in the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, approved and passed by the Parliament in Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020," the IMA said.

The 2019 bill drafted by the Health Ministry to check violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals was put on the back burner after the Home Ministry stated that there was no need for a separate law in this regard, news agency PTI reported.

Doctors and medical students are holding a protest at AIIMS Delhi. FAIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association) has called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from today, August 13.

A two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday morning. They went to the seminar hall where a woman doctor was raped and murdered.

The two-member team led by Delina Khongdup went to meet the investigating officers at Kolkata Police's headquarters at Lalbazar after reaching the city, before going to the victim's Panihati residence to meet the parents.

The body of the woman doctor 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.

Resident doctors in Maharashtra began an indefinite strike in Tuesday morning in support of the nationwide protests by their colleagues against the rape-murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor in Kolkata.

All elective services in hospitals across the state have been halted, but emergency services will continue uninterrupted, Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) president Dr Pratik Debaje told news agency PTI.

"From 9 am, we have stopped work at all OPDs (out-patient departments) and elective services have been stopped. Now, only emergency services are operational across the state," Dr Debaje said.

Doctors and medical students of Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Rajasthan's Jaipur are holding a protest against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata.

AIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association) calls for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from today.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, "under the watch of Mamata Banerjee and the TMC government is nothing short of Nirbhaya Part 2".

"It is evident now that this was not a rape, it was a gang rape. The evidence indicates that. But only one accused has been arrested. The rest of the accused are being protected because of their links with TMC... The TMC government's inquiry committee comprises of interns and people close to the TMC. So they want to hide something," Poonawalla said.

Huge crowd of patients were seen waiting outside the OPD bloc at Delhi's RML Hospitals, as services remain suspended amid the doctors' protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

After several PILs being filed before the Chief Justice division bench of the Calcutta High Court, the Chief Justice on Tuesday asked as to how can the principal -- who resigned by taking moral responsibility -- be appointed as the principle of another government college.

The court has asked the Sandip Ghosh to submit a leave application by 3 pm today, saying that if he doesn't do so, then the court will pass an order for him to leave the position.

The Calcutta HC also mentioned that he can be holding an administrative post but he should have been the first one to be questioned.

On former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, the Calcutta High Court asked the state counsel, "Why are you protecting him?"

"Record his statement. Let him tell whatever he knows," the HC said.

The state counsel has also been asked to produce the resignation and appointment letter of Ghosh, saying that it needs to be seen as to what he has written in his resignation letter.

Chief Justice Division bench has also directed authorities to file the case diary of the matter before it at 1 pm today.

NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule told reporters, "A lot of such incidents happen across the country and we condemn all of them...we believe that Mamata Banerjee will take action quickly and the family must get justice through fast track court. We couldn't save our daughter from this incident but such incidents must not happen again."

NCW member Delina Khongdup, who visited the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where the rape and murder of trainee doctor took place, told reporters that she spoke with the authorities and students' representatives.

"The authority has asked for a few days regarding the demands laid down by them (students) so that the demands can be fulfilled...We have requested that the investigation related to this case be completed at the earliest but with the procedure of the law. We are still in the inquiry process...We have asked for all the reports, they will submit to us," Khongdup asked.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, while addressing a press conference, said, "The way protection has been given to the criminals in the Kolkata incident is more tragic than the incident itself. The way (RG Kar's) Principal has been reappointed as a principal of some other college within 24 hours, shows the protection of the Bengal government. It raises suspicions on the investigation done by the Bengal government."

"Today, I want to ask why the West Bengal CM has sympathy for that Principal... My straight question to the TMC government is why these many days are being given. Is it for manipulation? We have seen this in the Sandeshkhali incident. Why the investigation is not being transferred to the highest investigating agency in the country (CBI)?... The parties of the INDI alliance are providing crime cover to the mutual criminal elements," he added.

NCW member Delina Khongdup said, "We have asked the Hospital authorities for the report, they will submit it to us...Police sent their report to the Commission yesterday itself regarding the action so far. We will study it again today...There were indeed several security lapses here. Authority has promised that they will check it, but give them some time."

NCW member Delina Khongdup, when asked about the possibility of multiple accused involved in the incident, said, "No, nothing like that has come to the front so far. There is a procedure, it takes a little time. They (Police) have collected samples...It takes time."

The Indian Medical Association will meet Union Health Minister JP Nadda today, said IMA's president Dr RV Asokan.

"Our demands are two-fold. Our demands to the Union government have been pending for the past two decades. We want the Union government to declare hospitals as 'safe zones'. What we have in mind is a layered security structure for hospitals," Asokan told news agency ANI.

"This has to be defined by law and enforced by local authorities. We have state legislation on violence against doctors/healthcare workers in 25 states. On the ground, it is found to be not practical as a central law is not in place. It is time that they relook at a central law," he added.

" There are more and more women doctors in India now, and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure their safety," Asokan said.

AIIMS Delhi on Monday issued an office memorandum to all resident doctors, warning them against any strike, dharna or demonstration in and around the hospital.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report carried on 9th August that a junior woman doctor was found dead at the Seminar Hall of the Kolkata’s state-run R G Kar Medical College & Hospital on 9th August.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, West Bengal calling for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks.

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury told news agency, "This shouldn't have happened, if a doctor is not safe inside a hospital while doing their duty, then there will be protest...but common people who have not done anything wrong, their expectations should not break. But I am with them (doctors). Mamata Banerjee has given her statement that if the culprits are not arrested by Sunday, then CBI enquiry will take place... the doctors must have safety."

Around 25 junior doctors, interns and other staff, who were on duty with the deceased trainee doctor, were called for questioning at Kolkata Police headquarters.

The Head of the Department of chest medicine at RG Kar hospital and a security guard were also summoned at Lalbazar as part of the probe, they said.

“Around 25 people have been called for questioning today, including four doctors who reportedly had dinner with the deceased woman on the night of the incident,” a police officer said.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters, "It is condemnable. The State govt should take action but it is still in dilemma. The law and order situation is getting worse. The state govt is not capable, and it wants to help the accused."

West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, "We want resignation of the Health Minister and Chief Minister. We want Kolkata CP Vineet Goyal, personal physician of CM - Dr SP Das and Dr Sandip Ghosh (former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital) to be arrested. They are the main architects of this genocide...This is a brutal murder and gang rape."

Junior doctors at state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started 'pen-down' agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries in protest against the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata. However, they continued to attend emergency services at the premier hospital.

"Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, president of Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told news agency PTI.

"Apart from a CBI probe, we also demand the safety of doctors at the workplace," he added.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked why a murder case was not registered at the outset and an unnatural death case was initiated into the alleged rape and killing of a woman doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam put forth the question to the West Bengal government lawyer when he claimed that an unnatural death case was registered, as there was no immediate complaint of murder.

The division bench presided by the Chief Justice said the body of the postgraduate trainee was not found on the roadside, and the superintendent or the principal of the hospital could have filed the complaint.

The AIIMS Delhi has warned their protesting resident doctors against holding any demonstration on or around the hospital campus stating it was in violation of High Court directions and amounts to contempt of court.

The Delhi AIIMS' Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) Monday went on an indefinite strike, suspending all elective and non-essential services including OPDs and wards to protest the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata.

The administration issued an office memorandum on Monday drawing the attention of all resident doctors to the "Code of Conduct as enshrined by the Division Bench of the High court of Delhi on 20.05.2002 in CWP NO.5166 of 2001 in the matter of" court of its own motion vs All India Institute of Medical Sciences".

Calcutta High Court on Tuesday has ordered that the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital be transferred to CBI.

The police has been asked to hand over all documents related to case to CBI by 10 am on Wednesday.

On Monday, CM Mamata Banerjee had announced a deadline for the coming Sunday for the city police to find enough evidence in the case or it will be transferred to CBI. Many protesting doctors questioned the deadline as they feared that the evidence might get hidden within that time period before CBI comes in.

Calcutta High Court on Tuesday while hearing the plea by the rape and murder victim's parents to initiate a court supervised investigation, handed over the case to CBI. Further the court urged the protesting students to call off their casework action, stating that they have a 'pious obligation'.

Advocate Koustav Bagchi spoke to ANI regarding Calcutta High Court's recent order to transfer the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case to CBI, he said, "We are very much happy. We had prayed to the court that there should be a CBI investigation and it should be monitored by the court. The court has handed over the investigation to the CBI and the court will monitor it...To instill confidence in the minds of the public at large as well as the family of the victim, the investigation has been handed over to the CBI..."

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday demanded strict punishment in cases of crime against women and urged for "sensitive arrangements" at every level.

Her statement came in the wake of the recent the brutal rape and murder case of a woman doctor at a hospital in Kolkata, which has triggered nationwide protests.

Calling the incident at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the West Bengal capital "very sad and shameful", Mayawati took to X to voice her concerns in the matter.

"This is a very important national issue related to the safety and respect of women working in government, non-government or any other field of life, about which everyone needs to be aware and cautious, so that such very sad and shameful incidents like the one of the female doctor of Bengal do not happen," she said in a post on X in Hindi.

After Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari said, "I welcome this. I have said from day one that there should be a court-monitored CBI probe… Now we demand that the health minister and the chief minister should resign. The CM is involved and her personal physician and very close aide Dr SP Das, he is the main person, he is controlling the health department in West Bengal.

After meeting Union Health Minister JP Nadda, IMA General Secretary Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak said, "Today our IMA leaders have met Health Minister JP Nadda that hospitals and medical colleges should be declared safe zones. A central law should be brought so that doctors can work safely in hospitals... We will meet her (CM Mamata Banerjee) tomorrow and the High Court has ordered for a CBI inquiry, so we welcome the decision..."

Several junior doctors from Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital protested against West Bengal governemnt's move to appoint ex-parincipal of RG Kar Hospital as the new principal of CNMCH within few hours on Monday.

The brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor took place in RG Kar Hospital when Ghosh was the principal.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh reponds to West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari's demand for resignation of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stating, "I heard that Suvendu Adhikari is asking for the resignation of West Bengal CM, but this RG Kar College incident is a rare and tragic one. The West Bengal government has taken a clear stand, and our CM has already done everything necessary. Within 24 hours, one accused was arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The CM of Bengal has no objection over CBI investigation into this incident. He (Suvendu Adhikari) is just doing drama."

As per the directions of the Union Health Minister JP Nadda, the National Medical Commission has issued an advisory for all Medical Colleges and Institutions for ensuring a safe work place environment.

In view of the intensifying developments around the nationwide doctors' protest, Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief Dr RV Asokan. said, “We met Union Health Minister JP Nadda (earlier today) and we put forward three things. First, the proportionate of lady doctors is now around 60 per cent of the total doctors' population of the country. So, the security of lady doctors is an important issue. We have asked hospitals to be declared as safe zones. Second, we have demanded a central law instead of 25 state laws, to act as a deterrent.”

"The recent incident involving the trainee doctor is truly heart-wrenching, and I strongly condemn it. The way the West Bengal government tried to cover it up is disgraceful, and no amount of criticism is enough. Bengal has become a state where law and order seem to have completely disappeared. It's unfortunate that crimes against women are increasing day by day, even with a female CM in power... I welcome the High Court's decision to allow a CBI inquiry into the case. I assure you that the central government will take all necessary actions," says Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda

Local media in Kolkata has reported that the walls of the seminar hall where the brutal rape and murder case of the trainee doctor took place, one of the walls was broken down.

Earlier in the day the junior doctors spotted police officers collecting pieces of evidence from the hospital and alleged that they are trying to destroy before CBI takes over.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the case to CBI by 10 am on Wednesday.

Resident doctors in Maharashtra began an indefinite strike on Tuesday in support of the nationwide protests by their colleagues against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at a medical college in Kolkata.

While all elective services in hospitals across the state have been halted, emergency services will continue uninterrupted, Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) president Dr Pratik Debaje told PTI.

"From 9 am, we stopped work at all OPDs (out-patient departments), and elective services have been stopped. Now, only emergency services are operational across the state," Dr Debaje said.

Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association in a post on X announces that they wont call off protests and casework as no assurance have been given on the Central Healthcare Protection Act. They said, "Our demands still stand incomplete. We will continue with the strike until they’re accepted fully."

Junior doctors at state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started 'pen-down' agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries in protest against the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata.

However, they continued to attend emergency services at the premier hospital.

The agitating doctors demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of the woman doctor in Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, president of Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told PTI.