Kolkata rape-murder case: Police extends prohibitory orders till Aug 31 near R G Kar hospital as doctors continue to protest

Doctors in the West Bengal continued their protest on Aug 25 against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at R G Kar Hospital even after the health department held talks with agitating doctors a day before in an attempt to restore normalcy at state-run hospitals.

Kolkata Police extended prohibitory orders till Aug 31 near the R G Kar hospital given the continuous strike of doctors. The meeting which which did not not yield any desired results was aimed at convincing the protesting doctors to resume work across state-run hospitals and colleges in West Bengal.

Meanwhile Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at the premises of the former principal of the state-run hospital Sandip Ghosh and 14 other places in the city in connection with the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital.

The CBI raids come after the Calcutta High Court on August 23 ordered the transfer of a probe into corruption at the hospital since January 2021 from the Special Investigation Team (SIT). During this period, Ghosh has remained the Principal of the R G Kar Hospital.

The agitating doctors are demanding justice for the young woman doctor who was found murdered after being raped at R G Kar Hospital Kolkata on Aug 9. The incident sparked nationwide outrage with doctors demanding exemplary punishment to the accused and enhanced safety measures for medical professionals at workplaces.

A delegation of protesting doctors who visited the CBI office in Kolkata on August 23 was told by the investigators that details regarding the case could not be disclosed as the court is monitoring the investigation.

Sealdah Court in Kolkata on Aug 24 sent the accused Sanjay Roy to 14-day judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court denied a request to block a planned protest march to the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna, on August 27, stating that the fundamental right to peaceful protest cannot be restricted.

The anti-corruption unit of the CBI also conducted searches at the residences and offices of those engaged in supplying materials for the management and care of patients.