Kolkata Doctor Death: As the medics' protests against the grisly rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata continued unabated, crippling the healthcare facilities, hundreds of techies joined the stir, staging a rally in the outskirts of the city. The Central Bureau of Investigation, on the other hand, grilled the arrested accused's "close acquaintance" for the second day in a row to ascertain how Sanjay Roy had free access to police barracks and could move freely around the medical facility at all times.
Meanwhile, in another major development, the Supreme Court intervened in the matter of doctors' strikes and constituted a 10-member National Task Force to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of health professionals. It also requested the medics to call off strikes, since the disrupted medical services were affecting patients.
On the political front, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi sparked a fresh row as he tried to dodge the queries regarding the incident, calling it a "distraction". This left the BJP fuming, as it slammed Gandhi for "insulting the victim and all the women".
Here's what happened today:
- The CBI summoned ASI Anup Dutta, a close associate of arrested accused Sanjay Roy, for questioning at CBI Special Crime Branch Office in Kolkata. As he arrived, he was spotted sprinting his way to the office in a bid to avoid the media queries, as reporters questioned him about whether he knew Roy.
- As the stir entered its ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, multiple protests were held across the city, Bengal, and the country. The already protesting doctors were joined by hundreds of IT Professionals who took to the streets of Sector V in Salt Lake in Kolkata, chanting 'Justice for R G Kar' with candles and mobile torches in hands. The rallyists included professionals from MNCs as well as media persons from various TV channels, PTI reported.
- Police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge and arrest over 20 ABVP activists after a scuffle ensued during a protest march to the state's health department headquarters. The protestors were reportedly demanding CM Mamata Banerjee's resignation. Central Kolkata district unit of Congress, demanding justice for the victim were also detained by the cops.
- Several student outfits from Delhi University also staged a demonstration over the Kolkata doctor' rape and murder and staged a march outside the Arts Faculty today, demanding action in the matter.
- A Special Investigation Team constituted by the Bengal government filed an FIR against former principal Sandip Ghosh and gathered details of the case from a whistleblower Dr Akhtar Ali, who was the first to complaint against the financial irregularities against Ghosh back in 2023. The FIR was lodged at the Talah police station.
- In another development, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose alleged that the victim's parents were denied a copy of the FIR by the Kolkata police. He also spoke to the parents during the day and said that the entire nation was with them as he assured them of justice. He also enquired about the health of the victim's mother and told them that he would be paying them a visit.
- Supreme Court on Tuesday heard the rape and murder case and expressed its deep concern over the circulation of the victim's name, photos, and videos over the internet, following which it ordered prompt removal from all social media platforms.
- SC also questioned the delay in lodging the FIR and slammed the RG Kar MCH principal for trying to pass off the incident as suicide. The top court also lashed out at the Kolkata Police over the incident of vandalism on the wee hours of August 15 at the medical facility, asking how the mob entered the premises. The apex court also directed the CBI to file a status report by August 22 on the probe in the case.
- Federation of Resident Doctors' Association and Federation of All India Medical Association, representing resident doctors welcomed SC's intervention into the matter and decided to hold a pan-India meeting regarding the decision on the ongoing strike, which the court has requested to call off.
- Dodging questions on the RG Kar MCH rape-murder case, Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi refrained from commenting on the matter saying that he does not want to be "distracted" from the issue of the Dalit youth's murder, whose family he went to meet in Raebareli today. This caused a massive stir as the BJP slammed him for his remark asking him, "Is Nyay for Beti a distraction?" BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X: "Those who speak about Sanvidhan, about Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon and visit victims’ homes in UP call a grave injustice a distraction because it happened in Bengal.” BJP co in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya also lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, calling him "shameless and spineless creature".