Kolkata Doctor Case: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari Demands CM Mamata Banerjee's Resignation

Hello, readers! Outlook brings you top developments of the day on Kolkata rape and murder case. Here is the summary of todays developements on the case:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has issued a letter to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal about the deployment of CISF personnel in the state in response to the rising protests.

• The AIIMS Delhi administration on Wednesday appealed to striking resident doctors to resume duties in the interest of patient care, saying a collaborative internal security audit will be conducted to assess safety and security measures within the campus.

• BJP workers led by West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar staged a protest in Kolkata demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the wake of Supreme Court’s observation in the rape and murder case of trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

• Shocking claims about former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh, has surfaced amid chances of his polygraph test by the CBI.

• Former Indian cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly, will reportedly join the protesting junior doctors as a gesture of support and demand justice for the deceased doctor, who was raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

• The Union Health Minister on Monday issued a list of security measures to be implemented at all central government hospitals.

• The Kolkata Police has suspended three of its officers in connection with the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week.

• The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has condemned the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

• FAIMA Doctors Association has said they will not join work until their security is not addressed.

• The postmortem report of the trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at the state-run hospital, has revealed that her death was primarily due to "manual strangulation associated with smothering".

Hello, readers! Welcome to Outlook India's LIVE Coverage of the proceedings in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. We are giving you real-time updates on the status of the probe and the protests in the case.

Here's a brief recap of the recent developments:

• The Supreme Court on Tuesday took suo moto cognisance of the case and slammed the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police for the lapses in the probe. The top court resounded the nation's voice and said that the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on ground. | Read More On What SC Said

• Supreme Court directed the CISF forces to provide security at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, to ensure the safety and enable doctors -- at protest -- to resume their work.

• The Supreme Court constituted a 10-member National Task Force to deal with the violence against and working conditions of doctors in the nation.

• The West Bengal government, meanwhile, has decided to employ retired police and defence personnel from the three services for supervision of the security arrangements at the hospital.

• Autopsy report of the victim reveal that her death was primarly due to "manual strangulation associated with smothering" and provided medical evidence of "forceful penetration".

• Both the CBI -- which is investigating the case -- and the West Bengal state have to submit status report on the case before the Supreme Court on Thursday, August 22.

Doctors across India, meanwhile, have continued their protests, seeking safety of medical staff and justice for the victim. This comes a day after the Supreme Court assured them of justice and asked them to resume work.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had directed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to provide security at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to enable the doctors to resume work.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to deal with the violence against and working conditions of doctors in the nation.

"We want them to give recommendations of the modalities to be followed across the country for the safety measures for senior and junior doctors to be followed," CJI Chandrachud said.

READ HERE | What Will The 10-Member Task Force Formed By SC Do

The West Bengal government on Tuesday decided to employ retired police and defence personnel from the three services for supervision of the security arrangements at the health facilities in the state.

The decision came hours after the SC ordered the deployment of CISF to provide security at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the rape and murder case, and mob vandalism during protests took place.

The postmortem report of the trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at the state-run hospital, has revealed that her death was primarily due to "manual strangulation associated with smothering".

It found that the manner of death is "homicidal".

The report of the autopsy conducted on the victim on the evening of August 9 also mentioned that the doctor had 16 external and nine internal injury marks.

"There is medical evidence of forceful penetration/insertion in her genitalia – the possibility of sexual assault," the report also stated.

Chairman of FAIMA Doctors Association, Dr Rohan Krishnan, said, "In its notice, Supreme Court has raised the issues of doctors very well. We thank the Supreme Court for this. It said that National Task Force will be formed...The force has been told to ensure improving the living conditions and security conditions of doctors, and submit its opinion to the Supreme Court. This is a welcome step."

But the main issue of the strike, Rohan said, is of doctors' security.

"For that security, an Act, an Ordinance was brought during COVID - Central Protection Act for Healthcare Workers...We demand that this Act be passed once again through an Ordinance and invoked. That has become essential for our protection," he told news agency ANI.

Rohan said, "We spoke with the Resident Doctors pan-India, all of them demanded that unless a concrete action is taken on CPA (Central Protection Act) by the Government, we will not join back at work...FAIMA has decided that the protection will continue."

Resident doctors in Telangana from the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) and Gandhi Junior Doctors Association (Gandhi JUDA) protested against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The doctors expressed their solidarity through music and dance, demanding justice for the victim. | Visuals:

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has condemned the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The Executive Committee of DHCBA, in a meeting, unanimously called for stringent action against the perpetrators and urged both Central and State Governments to implement measures to prevent such incidents and enhance women's security.

In solidarity and to honor the victim and her family, the Association has decided that members will wear white ribbon bands on August 21, 2024.

The National Task Force, which was constituted by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, is expected to submit interim guidelines on safety of medical professionals in three weeks.

Dr Saumitra Rawat, NTF member, told news agency ANI, "I think we will in two different areas, it has been told to us by the CJI -- the first issue is preventing violence against medical professionals, second is to draft a national protocol for dignified and safe working for the doctors, nurses and all paramedic staffs. So we, or everybody in the committee, will work together, and we will come up with the guidelines."

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of the name, photos and videos of a trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, from all social media platforms.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said disclosure of the identity of a victim of sexual assault is a violation of its order passed in the Nipun Saxena case.

"This court is constrained to issue an injunctive order since the social and electronic media have proceeded to publish the identity of the deceased and photographs of the dead body after the recovery of the body.

"We accordingly direct that all references to the name of the deceased in the above incident, photographs and video clips shall forthwith be removed from all social media platforms and electronic media in compliance of this order," the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

Visuals from RG Kar Medical College & Hospital where the students have been protesting against the sexual assault and murder of the woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor on August 9.

Former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh reached the CBI office today in connection with ongoing probe into woman doctor rape and murder case.

Officers of the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) may conduct a polygraph test on Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered earlier this month.

Ghosh, who resigned two days after her body was found in a seminar hall of the medical facility on August 9, has already appeared before sleuths of the central probe agency for questioning several times.

"We want to further verify Ghosh's answers, as there have been discrepancies in some of the replies to our questions. Therefore, we are mulling over the option to conduct a polygraph test on him," news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

The Kolkata Police has suspended three of its officers in connection with the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, officials said on Wednesday. The suspended policemen include two assistant police commissioners, they said.

A group of people had entered the medical facility and vandalised its emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store in the early hours of August 15.

The violence at the state-run hospital took place amid midnight protests by women in various parts of West Bengal against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at the health facility.

Addressing media over the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital murder and rape case, DIG CISF K Pratap Singh said on Wednesday, "Let us do our job. We have come here for some assignment. I am doing my job which has been mandated by the higher authorities..."

The Union Health Minister on Monday issued a list of security measures to be implemented at all central government hospitals.

The ministry asked the heads of these hospitals to ensure adequate number of well secured duty rooms with basic amenities for female health professionals and deployment of women health professionals at night be preferably done in more than one in number.

They have said that strict monitoring of the entry and exit points should be done and escort should be provided to women health professionals at night.

Former Indian cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly, will reportedly join the protesting junior doctors as a gesture of support and demand justice for the deceased doctor, who was raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

He is expected to join the protesters along with his wife Dona Ganguly.

This will come after Sourav changing his profile picture on microblogging site X to a black picture, expressing solidarity with the victim.

BJP Leader Dushyant Gautam said termed the West Bengal government's approach in the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor to be "unfortunate".

"The approach of West Bengal govt has been unfortunate, especially when Mamata Banerjee is herself a lady. People feel that it is their right to commit crime, and it is because the govt protects them. Mamata Banerjee is trying to cover up with the protest."

"The evidences were tampered, first information was of suicide... last rites were conducted in haste, principal was not arrested. There are many loopholes and the CBI will be revealing it," he added.

Doctors, students and commoners continued their protests in Kolkata, seeking justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Day after the Supreme Court ordered the deployment of CISF at the RG Kar Medical College, a team of the central paramilitary force on Wednesday visited the state-run medical facility and inspected the security arrangements there.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) team led by a senior officer reached the hospital in the morning and spoke to the local police and hospital authorities about the arrangements.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned till September 4 the joint hearing of several PILs over the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the vandalism done by a mob at the facility.

The HC adjourned the PILs since the Supreme Court is already seized the matter.

Shocking claims about former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh, has surfaced amid chances of his polygraph test by the CBI.

Ghosh has reportedly been accused of brutally assaulting his wife just two weeks after she gave birth via C-section. The incident, which took place nearly 12 years ago, was recounted by his former neighbours in Barasat, an India Today report said.

Meanwhile, claims of Ghosh engaging in trafficking biomedical waste and medical supplies to the neighbouring country of Bangladesh have also emerged.

Resident doctors will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, the 10th day of their strike against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Elective services in several government hospitals across the city have remained suspended due to the protests.

Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) appeals to the resident doctors of AIIMS New Delhi to resume their duties immediately so that patient care services are normalised.

Doctors of the National Institute of Homeopathy are holding a protest against the rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said, "Yesterday's verdict of the Supreme Court shows that the Court does not have faith in the Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal Govt and that the Commissioner of Police should be removed immediately. Atrocities on women are taking place in the state one after the other under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee."

"This shows that Mamata Banerjee has no control over the administration, so it is our demand that she should resign. We are going to protest until 5th September," Majumdar said.

West Bengal BJP general secretary Locket Chatterjee said, "The entire country and West Bengal is demanding justice and if Mamata Banerjee is not able to provide justice, she should resign...She stood on the streets against her government. We want either justice or CM's resignation."

"Supreme Court has clearly shown that it does not have faith in the police...Police should provide all the evidence to CBI but it is doing the opposite," she added.

Doctors in Telangana's Hyderabad are holding a protest in the state, seeking justice for the deceased trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Congress workers held protest in Kolkata against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Chaos erupted at the protest site after police detained the protesters.

The AIIMS Delhi administration on Wednesday appealed to striking resident doctors to resume duties in the interest of patient care, saying a collaborative internal security audit will be conducted to assess safety and security measures within the campus.

Doctors are holding a protest, seeking justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

A former deputy superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation against its former principal Sandip Ghosh, alleging financial irregularities by him during his tenure at the State-run facility.

Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj granted permission to Akhtar Ali to file the petition, seeking an order directing the Enforcement Directorate to probe alleged financial irregularities against Dr Ghosh.

Ali had earlier claimed that he had complained against Dr. Ghosh in 2023 to the West Bengal government authorities. PTI

BJP workers led by West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar staged a protest in Kolkata demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the wake of Supreme Court’s observation in the rape and murder case of trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said their demand was the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and that the protest would continue till September 5.

Sukanta Majumdar said, “Yesterday’s verdict of the Supreme Court shows that the Court does not have faith in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal Government and that the Commissioner of Police should be removed immediately. Atrocities on women are taking place in the State one after the other under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. This shows that Mamata Banerjee has no control over the administration, so it is our demand that she should resign. We are going to protest until 5th September.”

West Bengal BJP general secretary Locket Chatterjee said they demanded justice for the victim of the rape and murder. He said, “The entire country and West Bengal is demanding justice and if Mamata Banerjee is not able to provide justice, she should resign. She stood on the streets against her government. We want either justice or CM’s resignation. Supreme Court has clearly shown that it does not have faith in the police. Police should provide all the evidence to CBI but it is doing the opposite. Mamata Banerjee is trying her best so that former Principal Sandip Ghosh is not arrested.” PTI

The AIIMS Delhi administration on Wednesday appealed to striking resident doctors to resume duties in the interest of patient care, saying a collaborative internal security audit will be conducted to assess safety and security measures within the campus.

Two committees have also been constituted by the administration to look into safety issues at the institute and other concerns of the doctors.

Resident doctors of AIIMS have been on strike demanding a central legislation for the protection of healthcare workers following the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata. PTI

Besides the security audit, the AIIMS administration has also decided to install Al-enabled CCTV cameras at key entry and exit points of the Mother and Child Block on a pilot basis.

The Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) on Wednesday issued a letter to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal about the deployment of CISF personnel in the state in response to the rising protests.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress workers on Wednesday staged a rally in Kolkata to protest the rape-murder of a woman doctor at the State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Senior leaders, including former PCC president Abdul Mannan and veteran leader Pradip Bhattacharya, along with other party members, were stopped at Central Avenue near the police headquarters and detained, they added. PTI

Football federation on Wednesday took out a protest march in Kolkata, demanding justice justice for the RG Medical College rape-murder victim.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and other party workers on Wednesday held a march in Kolkata over rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

A member of the CBI team investigating the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape-murder case, reached the College.

Recounting her daughter's experience with Sanjay Roy, his mother-in-law Durga Devi while speaking to ANI described the relationship as tense adding that Roy thrashed her daughter against which a police complaint was filed.

"My relations with him were very tense," Durga Devi said, adding, "Initially, everything was good for 6 months. When she was 3 months pregnant, he caused a miscarriage. He thrashed her, and a police complaint was registered for the same. Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines." ANI

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday said, “The Supreme Court has directed the doctors protesting to return to their work. The investigation is in the hands of the CBI and the Supreme Court is looking after the case, so why the doctors are not returning to their work...therefore SC has requested them to return to work as a large number of people are suffering.”

The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA) on Wednesday condemned recent “horrendous, violent and brutal” crimes against women and young girls, and sought immediate and comprehensive reforms to protect them.

“The SCWLA is deeply shocked, traumatised, agonised and pained by the recent spurt of crimes against women, girls and infants, who come from various walks of life, caste, class and age, which were reported in Kolkata, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other parts of India at the hands of brutal, insensitive, perverted perpetrators,” the statement said.

In a statement, the association, led by its president and senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, sought a complete and effective ban on online pornography and obscenity on OTT platforms, along with the installation of CCTV cameras across workplaces and institutions. PTI

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said, “The horrific incident that happened with the doctor of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, everyone is deeply saddened after this, the level of grief cannot be expressed in words. I would request the doctors that they should return to work.”

Dona Ganguly, Odissi dancer and wife of former Indian team captain Sourav Ganguly, along with members of her dance academy hold a candlelight protest against the rape-murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Amid the nationwide protest of the doctors against Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Rape and murder incident, several patients await check-ups at AIIMS Delhi.