Kolkata Doctor Rape, Murder: 7-Day Curfew Imposed Outside RG Kar Hospital, Transfer Of 42 Doctors Revoked

Curfew has been imposed around Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College after a doctor's death sparked protests. The curfew, under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita prohibits large gatherings.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to nationwide strikes (Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

The Kolkata administration has imposed a curfew around RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a junior doctor was brutally raped and killed last week, for the next seven days. In an order, Kolkata police said Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College, banning ongoing protests, rallies, processions, dharnas or demonstrations and any unlawful assembly of five or more persons. 

The order issued by Commissioner of Police, Vineet Kumar Goyal, is effective for seven days from Sunday (August 18) to Saturday (August 24), "or until further notice".

"...any unlawful assembly of five (5) or more persons, carrying of lathis, any lethal or other dangerous weapons, or the commission of any act likely to cause a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity within the specified area in the town of Kolkata" is prohibited during this time, the order stated.

The imposition was made "in regard to inputs and information received from credible sources, indicating sufficient reasons for violent demonstrations, rallies, and meetings by a section of the public or an organisation, thereby causing a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity, health or safety, danger to human life, and obstruction to doctors, nursing staff, medical staff, and lawfully employed persons in the said area," it added.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalised by a mob, forcing security personnel to disperse the crowd. 

West Bengal Admin Revokes Transfer Of 42 Doctors

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department has rescinded the transfer orders of 42 doctors amid the ongoing outrage over the trainee doctor's death at RG Kar Hospital. Speaking at a press conference, the Principal Secretary of the WB Health and Family Welfare Department, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, stated, "Considering the current situation, we need to maintain normal services across the board. Therefore, we have decided to cancel these transfer orders for now. Any further decisions regarding this matter will be made in a few days."

He explained that the transfer process is part of the promotional exercise within the Medical Education Service, a lengthy procedure that began two months ago. He also noted that the approval for these transfers had been granted well before the incident.

"In West Bengal, the promotional exercise of the Medical Education Service, including routine transfers, is a lengthy process. This process started two months prior to this incident, and the approvals were finalized several days before. However, due to the need for thorough checks, the publication of these orders may have been delayed," he added.

Following the announcement, opposition leaders in West Bengal slammed the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government for the move, demanding her resignation and alleging that the order was a deliberate attempt to target protesting doctors and instil fear. Amit Malviya, the in-charge of BJP's National Information and Technology Department, took to the social media platform X, stating, "If the West Bengal Health Department doesn't know what it is doing, then Health Minister Mamata Banerjee should resign. Withdrawing the transfer order of over 40 qualified senior doctors within 24 hours is a sinister ploy. The order was issued to target protesting doctors, and instill fear, and has now been withdrawn because it served its intended purpose. But Mamata Banerjee should know that her attempts to crush the protests using illegitimate means are further fueling public anger."