Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar on Sunday wrote a letter to Mamata Banerjee, informing that he will resign from Upper House and leave politics all together over Kolkata doctor's rape-murder and rise of corruption cases and 'strong-arm tactics' of party leaders.
Reports indicate that after Sircar's decision, Mamata Banerjee called him, urging him to reconsider his resignation from the TMC Rajya Sabha seat.
The Central Bureau of Investigation revealed that arrested ex-RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh operating a "criminal nexus" along with the other co-accused for "wrongful gains" during his tenure. The West Bengal Medical Council on Saturday issued a show cause notice to Ghosh over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the health facility.
Members of the West Bengal Service Doctors Forum on Saturday took out a rally from Sealdah station to the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, as part of continuing protests against the alleged rape and murder of a young medic at the state-run hospital.
RG Kar Doctor Rape & Murder: CBI Probe Against Sandip Ghosh; Doctor Rallies | Top Points
The CBI had arrested Ghosh, two vendors, and his security person for their alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the state-run hospital, where the rape-murder of a young doctor has triggered nationwide protests.
CBI officials said that the two vendors were familiar to Ghosh from his time at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital and later they had been awarded the contracts for RG Kar Medical College and Hospital solely due to their close association with Ghosh.
The vendors were in Murshidabad and Ghosh brought them to Kolkata when he was made the principal of the RG Kar hospital and were favoured for supply of materials to the hospital.
The CBI’s probe also revealed how Ghosh “favoured” the organisation belonging to his security guard's wife by awarding the contract of a cafe inside the hospital.
CBI officials further explained that the arrested individuals have been frequently in touch with each other, which corroborates the allegation of criminal nexus as in the FIR.
The CBI also claimed that the "letters of work order used to be addressed to different officers of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, but these were never handed over to them".
The officer said the probe agency is also investigating the role of Ghosh’s security guard, as "he was the person who used to contact vendors to sell the hospital's biomedical waste."
The West Bengal Medical Council on Saturday issued a show cause notice which is a step before the council takes any decision on cancelling his medical registration, reportedly.
Three other doctors have been considered close to Ghosh, were asked to refrain from any activity of the council until they come out clean of allegations against them.
These three doctors are Avik Dey, a former resident medical officer of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Birupaksha Biswas, a former senior doctor of the same institution and Mustafizur Rahaman Mallick, a junior medic of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
According to TOI, a day after the rape and murder incident took place, Sandip Ghosh received the approval of the state's Health Department to demolish rooms near the crime scene.
Ghosh reportedly told the investigators that on August 10, he had received a 10-point charter of demands from resident doctors, which included a request to provide a duty room with adequate toilet facilities for departmental doctors.
According to the agency, Dr. Sandip Ghosh set up a secretive process for hiring house staff. There was no interview panel at the hospital, and only the final scores from the interviews were shared before hiring, as reported by TOI.
The agency also accused Ghosh of making a list of house staff that left out many qualified trainee doctors.
TMC MP Jawhar Sircar in a letter addressed to CM Mamata Banerjee wrote, "While thanking you sincerely for giving me such a great opportunity to represent the problems of West Bengal as an MP in the Rajya Sabha, I must inform you that I have decided to resign from parliament and also from politics altogether."
Sircar further stated, "Though I carried on my task in parliament with fervour, I became increasingly disillusioned as the state government seemed quite unconcerned about corruption and the increasing strong-arm tactics of a section of leaders."
Thousands of people are expected to hit the streets of West Bengal on Sunday as various demonstrations, including another 'Reclaim the Night' protest which was held earlier on August 14 and September 4.
Noted people from different fields, including musicians, artistes, painters and actors, would join the 'Reclaim the Night' demonstration, which would start at 11 pm "to awaken the ruler", social activist Rimjhim Sinha said.
As part of the demonstration, people would gather at various intersections, crossings and roundabouts. While there will be multiple gatherings from Gol Park to Garia along the SC Mallick Road in south Kolkata, a march has been planned from Sodepur to Shyambazar along the BT Road in the north, one of the organisers told PTI.
Several rallies are being taken out by medical professionals, common people, artists, political parties as they demand justice in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital on August 9.
