New Delhi: ‘How can the principal—who resigned by taking moral responsibility, be appointed as the principal of another government college?’—That’s how the Calcutta High Court slammed the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government on Tuesday while hearing multiple pleas in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Hospital, which has triggered a massive outcry across the country.
This comes as within a few hours after Sandip Ghosh—the former RG Kar Medical College principal— stepped down from his post following massive protests, the state government had appointed him as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH).
‘Principal should go on leave by 3pm or will order for his removal’
Dubbing the incident as ‘gruesome’, the High Court asked the former principal to go on leave by submitting an application by 3pm today (Tuesday) or it would pass an order for him to leave the position.
The court has also asked the state counsel to produce the resignation letter and the appointment letter of the principal. The court reportedly said that it was needed to be seen as to what the principal had written in his resignation letter.
‘Principal should have been the first one to be questioned’
Court also mentioned that he could be holding an administrative post but he should have been the first one to be questioned. The court, according to ANI, asked the state counsel as to why he was protecting the principal and asked to record the principal’s statement. The High Court Chief Justice division bench has also directed the police to file the case diary of the matter before the court at 1 pm on Tuesday.
#WATCH | Dr Akshay Dongardive says, “…This is a major rape-murder case after the Nirbhaya incident. It puts us all to shame…We have joined in the nationwide protest. All resident doctors across all government hospitals in Maharashtra are observing suspension of services… pic.twitter.com/yOK6NFcFDk
— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2024
‘Can’t gag media, doctors are hurt’
The court came heavily down the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the incident. “We cannot gag the press…what assurance are you (State) giving to doctors? They are hurt. The incident is so gruesome. They (doctors) are justified in expressing their emotions,” the court said, as quoted by Bar n Bench.
‘For women’s independence on midnight independence’
Meanwhile, women in Kolkata and other parts of Bengal will take to the streets late Wednesday night. The protest, which will begin at 11.55 pm, has been dubbed as, ‘For women’s independence on the midnight of independence.’
Posters sharing locations of the protest are being shared on social media. Men have also decided to join the protest in large numbers. Several prominent figures, including actor Swastika Mukherjee, actor Churni Ganguly and filmmaker Pratim D Gupta, have urged people to join the protest.
#WATCH | Mohali, Punjab: Medical students took out a candle march to protest against the sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on August 9. pic.twitter.com/qblQ32AJtU
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2024
Protests and cease-work by doctors across India continue
Doctors have announced a shutdown of Out-Patient Department (OPD) services, resulting in long queues at hospitals across the country. They are demanding justice for the junior doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered by a civic volunteer.
Doctors in Kolkata have shut down emergency services. The protests have paralysed the healthcare services. Healthcare services have been hit in New Delhi amid the doctors’ protests at AIIMS Delhi that caters to 10,000 patients a day in its OPDs. Protests also hit the other major hospitals in Delhi and Pune, King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, and the Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur. In Uttarakhand, doctors are working due to the recent disasters but are wearing a black arm band as a mark of solidarity.
VIDEO | Paramedical students and junior doctors hold a sit-in protest at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College over the recent rape-murder of a trainee doctor on the premises.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/dv5TRARJn4) pic.twitter.com/wgDU7qyiOe
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 12, 2024
Did the Kolkata hospital try to cover up the incident?
According to media reports, the victim’s father had alleged he had got a phone call on Friday morning that his daughter had died by suicide. He claimed to have received the call from someone who identified himself as the Assistant Superintendent of chest medicine department. However, the official did not name himself during the call, the father claimed. The semi-nude body of the junior doctor with multiple injury marks was found in the seminar hall of the hospital’s emergency building. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, has been arrested in the incident so far.
