Kolkata Doctor Case: A renovation work at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital amid the uproar over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the facility has caused a massive furore. The BJP and the Left said the renovation of a room opposite the seminar hall where the junior doctor was raped and murdered was merely an attempt to remove evidence.
Hitting out at Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP said: "This is an abomination! West Bengal is in flames with rage, yet Mamata Banerjee and her lapdog Kolkata Police are knee-deep in a filthy cover-up of a brutal rape and murder!"
The BJP alleged that the RG Kar Medical College authorities were tearing down the walls of the room to "obliterate crucial evidence that could have exposed the vile monsters who committed this heinous act [rape & murder]". "The so-called 'renovation' in the Chest Medicine Dept is nothing but a blatant, disgusting attempt to erase the crime scene, all to protect the guilty who are rumoured to be relatives of TMC leaders," the BJP added in an X post.
BJP leader Amit Malviya said: "Mamata Banerjee was all along eliminating evidences and covering crime trail to protect those involved in the heinous crime, who, it is speculated, happen to be family members of influential TMC leaders [sic]."
Students' bodies associated with the Left also alleged that this was an attempt to remove and falsify evidence to put hurdles in the investigation. Representatives of the National Commission for Women also called for a halt to the renovation work.
The renovation was, however, stopped on Tuesday evening after the CBI went to the hospital and issued a stop-work notice.
The CBI on Wednesday took over the investigation of the rape and murder case and secured the custody of the prime accused, Sanjay Roy.
Bengal Doctors' Strike Today
The protests over the junior doctor's death continued on Wednesday in Kolkata and other cities of the country. Protesting doctors have remained adamant to continue their strike till their six-point demands are met. Besides, a joint platform of doctors has called for an eight-hour strike across the state on Wednesday.
All public and private hospitals in the state have been called to close OPD services from 8 AM to 4 PM. At RG Kar MCH, the counter opened at 9 AM but slot ticketing did not start. Patients were left in the lurch as a result of the strike.
The General Emergency ward at RG Kar Hospital, however, remained open despite a staff shortage due to the ongoing protests. Medical staff is scanty at the facility. Efforts are being made to run general emergencies and trauma care emergencies normally. Attempts are being made to handle the situation by bringing in professors of various non-clinical subjects to work in emergencies.