Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: A scuffle broke out on the campus of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where a midnight protest was being held against the rape-murder of the female trainee doctor in the early hours on Thursday. The call for the midnight protest reverberated on social media, with netizens calling on each other to participate in peaceful silent protests across the nation for the "freedom of women".
Unidentified miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital shortly after midnight on Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of a woman doctor was found last week, police said.
The incident took place amid midnight protests by women against the rape-murder of the doctor at the hospital last week. A group of people, disguised as protestors, entered the hospital premises, vandalised property and pelted stones at policemen.
"We were to leave at 11 PM for a protest march (from the protesting site). But, there was a group of people outside the campus, they were raising the slogan - 'We want justice', but they weren't moving," a trainee doctor at the hospital, Hasan Mushtaq told reporters.
"The mob turned angry and they were trying to enter the campus. Suddenly, they started coming and vandalising. We asked our female team to leave and as they left the mob broke the barricade and entered and we have to escape to save our lives," he added.
Mushtaq claimed that the mob came from outside and caused chaos while the students and doctors were protesting peacefully on the campus.
Kolkata police commissioner, Vineet Goyal visited the site and urged not to spread rumours.
"We are verifying everything... We are constantly interrogating everyone who was there. On the first night, the additional CP was here and he had interrogated everyone personally. Just by rumour-mongering and bringing distrust to the citizens, I think this city is the loser, not Vinnet Goyal," he said while speaking to media persons.
"You must ask CBI, the kind of work the officers have done in the span of these four days and the city has given them this, this is demoralising for them," he added.
Trinamool Congress MP and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called out the incident saying the "hooliganism and vandalism have exceeded all acceptable limits."
He spoke with the Kolkata Police Commissioner and urged him to ensure that all those involved in the incident are identified, held accountable and made to face the law within 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 prioritised," he said.