Protesting junior doctors, whose nine representatives are fasting unto death, met with the West Bengal government's senior officials and described it as "the most disappointing meeting so far".
Following the more than two-hour-long meeting, the agitating doctors said that they did not get any concrete response from the state except "verbal assurances".
Protesting junior doctors, whose nine representatives are fasting unto death, met with the West Bengal government's senior officials and described it as "the most disappointing meeting so far".
Following the more than two-hour-long meeting, the agitating doctors said that they did not get any concrete response from the state except "verbal assurances".
Meanwhile, Durga Puja pandals across Bengal continued to pay tributes and demand justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Fasting unto death while demanding justice for the RG Kar victim, protesting doctors met with state officials and termed the meeting to be the "most disappointing" one so far.
They said that they did not receive any concrete response from the West Bengal government except for "verbal assurances", adding that the state refused to issue written directives on their demands to ensure a "thorough clean-up" of the state healthcare system and step up their safety and security within medical college campuses.
Debasish Halder, a junior doctor, told reporters, "At a time when our friends are sitting in protest without a drop of food in their stomachs for over four days now, the government told us they will think about our demands in the third week of October after the Pujas are over. We never expected such insensitivity and inflexibility from the state."
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had invited the doctors for a meeting given their hunger strike. Notably, the doctors have put forward a 10-point charter of demand and over 200 senior doctors resigned as part of a mass solidarity movement.
Around 20 representatives from the doctors' side attended the meeting, with the state being represented by Chief Secretary, Home Secretary Nandini Mukherjee and DGP Rajeev Kumar.
"The CS parroted exactly what he said at a press conference on Tuesday on the progress that the state has made so far in terms of implementing the safety and security measures in campuses and not a word more," Halder said.
"About the rest of our demands, the government refused to issue any written directive or even provide a timeline for their implementation. It is clear that the state lacks the necessary political will to cure the real ailments which continue to plague our public healthcare system," he added.
Halder said that the CS told the agitating doctors that the government could start thinking about making any ground assessments only after the pujas are over.
A medic asked, "On what basis will we withdraw the fast?", adding that all the meetings and everything was a "big drama enacted by the government".
Kolkata police on Wednesday evening "picked up" around 29 people from a popular Durga Puja pandal in the southern part of the city, where they were distributing leaflets regarding the ongoing junior doctors' protest demanding justice for the RG Kar victim.
Those picked up were brought to Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar from the Deshapriya Park's Sammilani Puja.
Police asserted that they were common people showing solidarity with the medical professionals, however, the doctors insisted that the ones "picked up" were their colleagues.
Several other medics protesting near Dharmatala also took out a rally towards Lalbazar when they were stopped by police on Bentinck Street. They sat on the road and demonstrated, demanding the immediate unconditional release of their "colleagues".
"We were not told by the police why they had brought our colleagues to Lalbazar. This is nothing but atrocity. We will not leave unless our friends are released," one of the junior doctors said.
Parents of the RG Kar victim protested in front of their residence in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, demanding justice for their deceased daughter.
"We do not have our Durga with me. I had never thought of seeing this day even in my nightmare. We used to have Durga Pujas in my home, but now we are sitting here after our Durga left us. We will sit here till Dashami," her father said.
“We haven’t invited anyone, but anyone who wants to join is welcome. However, they must not take the stage as we want to avoid any political influences," he said.
Meanwhile, veteran film actress Aparna Sen visited the agitating doctors and urged Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to intervene in the matter.
"I would repeatedly request you (Banerjee) to come here, listen to these young doctors and do the needful. I could not resist myself from coming after seeing these young doctors on fast unto death. We all are waiting for the victim to get justice," Sen said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation listed 11 pieces of evidence in its charge sheet to hold arrested Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the "sole accused" in the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The federal agency mentioned the presence of his DNA on the victim's body, short hair injuries on his body, blood stains of the victim, the CCTV footage and the location of his mobile phone as per the call detail records as evidence against Roy.
The charge sheet also mentioned that the accused suffered "blunt force injuries consistent with the marks of resistance/struggle by the victim".
Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police on October 10, a day after the victim's body was found at the RG Kar Medical College's seminar hall.
"His (Roy's) presence in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and also at the third floor of the emergency building where SoC (scene of the crime) lies, during the intervening night of August 8 and 9 is proved by way of CCTV footage. His presence is proved by way of the location of his mobile phone as per CDR," the CBI charge sheet said.
The victim was mentioned as 'V' in the CBI's charge sheet which was submitted before a local court on Monday.
"(There were) presence of his DNA on the reference DNA/questioned DNA detected from the dead body of the 'V' during autopsy... The presence of blood stains of 'V' on his jeans and footwear which were recovered by the local police on August 12 in pursuance of his disclosure statement. The short hair found from the SoC has matched with accused Sanjay Roy," the charge sheet said.