RG Kar: Agitating Junior Doctors Shout Slogans During Hospital Inquiry Panel Hearing

Junior medics at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here on Wednesday shouted slogans against 51 doctors, house staff, and interns as 12 of them appeared before an inquiry committee investigating allegations of a threat culture within the institution.

Hundreds of junior doctors rallied, chanting slogans like "down with threat culture" and "down with north Bengal lobby," expressing their anger and demanding accountability.

Among those summoned was senior PGT medic Ashis Pandey, belonging to the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) and known to have ties with Sandip Ghosh, the former principal currently in CBI custody.

The protesting junior doctors occupied the area outside the hospital superintendent’s office during the hearing of the 12 who deposed during the day.

These 51 doctors, house staff and interns have been accused of fostering a culture of intimidation and were required to provide testimony to the inquiry committee.

Authorities have restricted their access to the campus due to their alleged connections with Ghosh, who has been linked to several controversies in the hospital's administration.

In a separate development, Dr. Shyama Prasad Das, personal physician to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, responded to allegations regarding his ties to Ghosh.

He told Bengali news channel ABP Ananda that he has no knowledge of a "north Bengal lobby" and claimed his name was being unfairly associated with the ongoing investigations.

The so-called 'north Bengal lobby' refers to a group of doctors employed in government-run hospitals and medical colleges. The doctors belonging to the group have been accused of "threatening" junior doctors of RG Kar hospital. The doctors of the group are believed to be close associates of Sandip Ghosh.

Das emphasised that he has never influenced the CM's decisions regarding hospital operations and expressed his commitment to responding to any legal summons as a law-abiding citizen.

Das dismissed calls from political figures for his arrest and interrogation, suggesting these demands were politically motivated and that he had maintained good relations with those making such claims.

He reiterated his lack of involvement in the ongoing investigations and denied having any insider information regarding recent incidents at the hospital.