Kolkata news highlights: IMA announces 24-hour nationwide strike on Aug 17 over trainee doctor's rape and murder

Kolkata news LIVE updates: On the Delhi Medical Association meeting regarding the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident, DMA President Dr. Girish Tyagi says, "...This is a very shameful incident. Delhi Medical Association stands with the victim and her family. A candle march will be taken out at India Gate tomorrow at 5 pm... A strike has been called from 6 am on August 17 to 6 am the next day, that is, for 24 hours. We are with the resident doctors as they are not getting the proper working conditions... In the next phase of the strike, emergency services will also be included in it...”

Kolkata news LIVE updates: On Thursday, healthcare services at the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack were disrupted as students staged a cease-work protest. The demonstration was in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital.

Students, wearing black badges, held a sit-in on campus, impacting outpatient departments (OPD), operating theatres (OT), and lab services.

Emergency services continued to operate normally.

The protesting students have warned that they may halt emergency services as well if their demand for a central law to protect doctors is not addressed within 72 hours.

Kolkata news LIVE updates: In response to the 'rape and murder' of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Bollywood actors have voiced their support and outrage.

Genelia Deshmukh has been especially outspoken, calling for capital punishment for the perpetrators.

On her X (formerly Twitter) account, Deshmukh wrote, "Monsters need to be hanged!!! Just reading what the victim went through sent chills up my spine. A woman, a lifesaver who was on duty faced this horror in the seminar hall. My heart goes out to the family and her loved ones - can't even imagine how they are facing this tragedy."

Kolkata news LIVE updates: The Indian Medical Association has announced a nationwide 24-hour withdrawal of services by modern medicine doctors, starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, until 6 am on Sunday, August 18. This action is in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

During the strike, essential services will remain operational, and emergency cases will be attended to. However, routine outpatient departments (OPDs) will be closed, and elective surgeries will be postponed.

The strike will affect all sectors where modern medicine doctors are employed. The IMA seeks the nation’s support and understanding in standing with its doctors for this just cause.

Spiritual leader and founder of The Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, "A very unpleasant incident has occurred in the recent days that shows the amount of frustration and lack of morality ethics in the society. But at the same time, you see, Navaratri is going to come and women are going to be there. People are dancing and they are partying. All that is happening. But there are pockets in this country which still are not very safe. Unfortunately, they have to deal with an iron fist very strongly and one should condemn any such atrocity on women, children, or elderly people. It's very serious. We have to take it up because we can't allow the culture of the society to go down on wrong path. The culture of the society diminished and a culture of violence took over what had not been part of India. For millenniums a lot of awareness needs to be created and a lot of work needs to be done. Also, you can't imagine in India when doctors are peacefully demonstrating, they are there to save the lives of the people and they have been attacked... This shows such a lack of awareness. Let me tell the medical community in this whole country and the world that we are with you. Our solidarity is with you all..."

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan posted on social media, “Yes we need to evolve into a society where we ALL feel equally safe. But that is going to take decades. It’s going to hopefully happen with sensitizing and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better. We will get there. Eventually. But what in the interim ? Right now justice would be to put a hard stop to such atrocities. And the only way to do that is a punishment so harsh that it scares the living daylights out of such perpetrators. That’s what we need. Perhaps? I stand with the victim's family in seeking justice for their daughter and I stand with all the Doctors that were attacked last night.”

Union Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar posted on X that there is a major coverup involved in the horrific death of the junior doctor in RG Kar Medical College, and said that he will protest at the hospital tomorrow.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan said, "Such incidents cannot be accepted in any civilized society, no matter which state it is in, under the rule of any government. Strict action should be taken in his matter. I feel sad when such topics are politicized... The way thousands of anti-social elements went to the spot late last night and vandalized it, was it under any conspiracy? Was it to destroy any evidence? Was it to save someone or to implicate someone, these things are a matter of investigation... I am surprised that where there is a woman Chief Minister, such an incident happens and she is silent, all her women MPs are silent... This incident is reprehensible and shameful, what all the doctors there are saying should be heard... This is not just a matter related to one area, it is a matter of women's safety on which every government needs to work sensitively."

A resident doctors' federation on Thursday announced to continue its protest here over the alleged rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, a day after medics slammed it for calling off the agitation following the health ministry's "verbal" assurance to meet its demands, including bringing a law to curb attacks on medical personnel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Left is in connivance with the Ram (the Bharatiya Janata party) to create unrest in West Bengal. "Left and Ram want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this," She said while referring to the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta wrote on social media, “We are the fifth-largest economy in the world. This election saw about 66 per cent voter turnout, with women voters predicted to outnumber men in future elections. am sorry to every girl that has been wronged. I'm sorry I didn't fight hard enough for you in the past. BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP on Thursday wrote to the Centre, seeking security by paramilitary forces at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospitals which was vandalised amid the ongoing protest against the rape and murder of a doctor. (PTI)

The CBI team once again reached the RG Kar Medical College on the evening of August 15, investigating the rape and murder of a junior doctor in the hospital seminar hall.

CM Mamata Banerjee said, "The people who vandalised RG Kar Hospital yesterday and created this ruckus are not connected to the student movement of RG Kar Medical College, they are outsiders, I have seen as many videos, I have three videos as I can see, in which some people are holding national flags, they are BJP people, and some are DYFI are holding white and red flags. Yesterday, the police were also attacked...Police were attacked... I would like to congratulate them that they did not lose patience, they did not hurt anyone... Now the case is not in our hands, it is in the hands of CBI, if you have something to say, then tell CBI, we have no objection..."

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said, “Further, I request you to ensure full cooperation to the CBI, so that proper investigation is done in the matter and justice is meted out to the family. The Government must also fix accountability of those in power, who tried to cover up the matter and save the accused.”

CM Mamata Banerjee said, "As far as the information I have, I will not blame the students... The incident is very unfortunate, we still say that they should be hung... We have given all the documents, till the time our police were investigating, nothing was leaked... My and the people of Bengal's condolences are with the victim's family... This is a very big crime, and the only punishment for it is that the accused should be hung, if the culprit is hanged then only people will learn a lesson from it but no innocent should be punished..."

The CPI(M)-led Left Front on Thursday demanded the resignation of CM Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal's Health and Home minister over the violence at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. (PTI)

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “Police are looking into the matter. I don't have any complaints against the students or the agitating doctors. But there are certain political parties which are trying to foment trouble. If you go through the video, you will get to see what happened.”

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor said, “Another brutal rape. Another day of realisation that women are not safe, anywhere. Another horrific atrocity to remind us that it's been over a decade since the Nirbhaya tragedy, but still nothing much has changed.”

TMC leader Shatrugan Sinha said, “There is only one woman CM in the entire country and we talk about women empowerment. Mamata Banerjee is a woman of substance and she has struggled a lot to reach this position. She proved herself as a successful leader. The entire country is proud of her.”

The CBI team investigating the RG Kar Medical College rape case summoned five doctors for interrogation on Thursday, after recording the statement of the victim's parents.