RG Kar Medical College PG medico Murder Case: Doctors Across India on Protest, CM Assures CBI Probe if Mystery Not Resolved
Kolkata: Amid the nationwide protests against the recent brutal rape and murder of a PG respiratory medicine student at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured that Kolkata Police fails to resolve the mystery of the case within the next 7 days, the investigation charge can be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
CM Banerjee also said she wants the case to be tried in a fast-track court, PTI has reported. "If the police are unable to solve this by Sunday, we will hand over the case to the CBI. However, the success rate of the central probe agency is very low," Banerjee told reporters after visiting the residence of the deceased doctor. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court will hear a plea seeking a CBI investigation into the matter tomorrow.
Medical Dialogues had reported how the half-naked body of the PG doctor of R G Kar Medical College was recovered from the Seminar Hall by the hospital staff. A preliminary autopsy report has indicated sexual abuse before she was killed.
The inquest report prepared by the police recorded bleeding from both the eyes and her mouth, injury on the face and nails, bleeding from her genitals, and several other injury marks in different parts of the body. After this doctors across the country started a massive protest demanding justice for their colleague's rape and murder.
Following the massive outrage from the medical fraternity across the country, the Principal of the Institute Dr Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post on Monday. "I am getting defamed on social media...The deceased doctor was like my daughter. As a parent, I resign...I don't want this should happen to anyone in future," Ghosh was quoted as saying by ANI.
Police recently arrested the prime suspect Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, who was seen entering the hospital at around 4 am and leaving the premises early on Friday morning. He was arrested after the discovery of a crucial piece of evidence—a Bluetooth device left at the crime scene. This small but vital clue played a pivotal role in leading investigators to Roy.
Massive Protest Across the Country:
Protesting against the incident, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) announced halting elective services in hospitals in solidarity with the R.G. Kar Medical College residents.
"As a mark of our solidarity with the colleagues of R.G.Kar, we announce a nationwide halting of elective services in hospitals starting Monday, 12th August. This decision is not made lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that demands for justice and safety are met without further delay," the association mentioned in a letter directed to the Union Health Minister.
Resident Doctors Association, UP expressed its solidarity with the strike called by FORDA and announced a statewide strike across Medical Colleges in Uttar Pradesh.
As a mark of solidarity, Doctors at SMS Medical College Jaipur wore black ribbons during duty hours. In Bengaluru, doctors also took to the streets. Resident doctors protested at NIMHANS in Bengaluru against the murder and rape of the R G Kar PG Medico.
The Resident doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi also decided to shut down all elective services till justice was served to the deceased doctor. Doctors at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, Dr RML Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) also staged a demonstration protesting against the incident. Photos and videos of doctors at AIIMS Patna, participating in the nationwide protest, are also doing rounds on social media.
BMC MARD (Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors) has also announced the suspension of elective/non-emergency medical services by resident doctors from 8 am on August 13 until the acceptance of demands of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College residents, immediate appointment of a central agency to investigate the case, establishment of a Central Protection Act, an immediate audit and recruitment of the security measures at all medial institutions and that of a detailed report on the total number of CCTV cameras installed in respective hospitals are met.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has also given a call for an indefinite shutdown of all elective services, starting from Tuesday. 13th August, 2024.
Bengal Medical Services Take a Hit:
Due to the ongoing casework announced by the junior doctors, interns and postgraduate trainees in West Bengal, the healthcare services across the State have taken a major hit.
TOI has reported that in order to manage the situation, the State Government has cancelled the leave of all the senior doctors to help tackle the patient influx until the situation gets back to normal.
Viral Audio Alleges Involvement of Doctor:
Amid the chaos, confusion and ongoing outrage following the death of the PG Medico, an audio recording of a phone call between an intern doctor with a senior went viral on social media and news channels. In the phone call, the intern was heard saying that the whole movement of the medical college was fake and the principal and his subordinates were running the movement.
Further, the intern doctor was allegedly heard expressing his suspicions that an intern doctor might be involved in the matter and the prime accused who was arrested was just a scapegoat.
Following the audio went viral, social media speculations started running wild, some of the posts even pinpointing a doctor as the possible accused. However, speaking to Medical Dialogues, a doctor, aware of the developments, from the hospitals claimed that these speculations were being made because there was no clarity from the Police. The doctor, on the condition of anonymity, further added that the audio call might be another tactic to shift the blame on an innocent person.
He further informed that a G.B. meeting is being held today at R G Kar to discuss the following course and to push forward the demands for a CBI investigation.
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