Kolkata: Unidentified miscreants entered the premises of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata—where the 31-year-old PGT doctor was brutally raped and murdered— shortly after midnight on August 15 and vandalised portions of the medical facility. It has been alleged that the portion where the woman’s body was found last week, was vandalized.
The vandalism took place amid midnight protests by women against the brutal rape-murder. The miscreants also pelted stones at policemen, reports claimed.
#WATCH | West Bengal | Visuals of the aftermath from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital campus in Kolkata. A scuffle broke out when a mob entered the campus last night and damaged the property. pic.twitter.com/qf0rO5eVm2
— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024
“Around 1 am last night when about 500-1000 people came here…We locked the gate here but they broke it down. We went to another gate, but they broke down that too. They were too many, we were 10-12 people and the Police. So we were no match. They barged in and vandalised the property…They have damaged everything – from computers to medicines…They damaged even the CCTV cameras…” said Pronoy Das, a security guard at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, who was on duty when the vandalism took place, quoted the ANI
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the vandalism was carried out by “TMC goons.” However, the Trinamool Congress has refuted such claims. “The hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight have exceeded all acceptable limits. As a public representative, I just spoke with the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliations. The demands of the protesting doctors are fair and justified. This is the minimum they should expect from the government. Their safety and security must be prioritized,” wrote Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP, on X.
#WATCH | Visuals from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a mob enters the campus, vandalised protesting site, vehicles and public property
A protest was being held by the doctors in the campus of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital against the rape-murder of the trainee… pic.twitter.com/yY0bwMj9Zj
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
Fresh stir erupts on RG Kar campus after midnight protests across Bengal
The vandalism on the RG Kar hospital campus triggered fresh protest at the hospital on Thursday morning. This comes after a thousands of women across Bengal marched through the streets around midnight and wee hours of Thursday to demand justice for the deceased doctor. They called the protest as a step towards reclaiming the nights for women. Responding to calls on social media, women from all walks of life marched across Kolkata and throughout West Bengal. Smaller protests were also held in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Protest held against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, in Asansol. (14/08) pic.twitter.com/HOWI2HHlgn
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024
What did Chief Minister of Bengal say?
Facing criticism and attack from Opposition parties, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged a “cordinated” effort by the BJP and CPI(M) to add political colours to the brutal incident. Banerjee compared the situation in Kolkata to the students’ unrest in Dhaka. She alleged attempts were being made to “make a Bangladesh here.” She claimed that she had “no longing for the chair”.
What’s the probe status in the case so far? Was it a gang rape?
Following the direction of Calcutta Hight Court, the investigation into the case was handed over to CBI from Kolkata Police. A CBI team visited the hospital and initiated probe on Wednesday. Earlier, Kolkata Police had arrested a civic volunteer, identified as Sanjoy Roy. But, there are allegations that it was a ‘scapegoat arrest’. It has been alleged that it might be a case of gang rape and protests had been staged to demand arrest of other culprits, if any. According to media reports, the autopsy report had cited that about 150mg of a substance that looked like semen was found in the woman’s body, hinting at possibilities of gang rape.
