Kolkata doctor’s gruesome murder raises questions on civic police volunteers
On May 24, 2023, the West Bengal police directorate passed an order stating civic volunteers will only “assist” police units deployed to manage traffic, tackle illegal parking, manage crowds during festivals, and ensure public safety
Kolkata: The arrest of Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer working with the Kolkata police, as prime suspect in the August 9 rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital has once again raised questions on the role and duties of civic volunteers in West Bengal police.
A number of police officers HT spoke to said although the Supreme Court—which took charge of the hearing through a suo motu petition—will decide Roy’s fate, nobody can deny that his arrest has not surprised anyone.
The civic volunteers, who need to pass the Class 8 to be eligible for the job, are frequently described by the opposition parties in Bengal as “cadres” of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
A senior police officer said that the erstwhile government had inducted these volunteers to manage traffic, but the TMC government started deploying them to police stations to make up for low manpower in departments.
There are more than 70,000 civic volunteers drawing a monthly salary of Rs. 9,000 who are part of the West Bengal police. They are a level below the home guards.
“A section of Bengal’s population sees the civic police, as they are commonly referred to, as a rogue force. Many of them have been arrested in recent years in criminal cases,” a senior Kolkata police official said on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}“A section of Bengal’s population sees the civic police, as they are commonly referred to, as a rogue force. Many of them have been arrested in recent years in criminal cases,” a senior Kolkata police official said on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}On August 10, a day after the R G Kar Hospital incident, another civic volunteer, Susanta Roy, arrived as a patient at the Bhatar State General Hospital in East Burdwan district and allegedly threatened a female doctor with the same consequence as the Kolkata victim if she did not treat him correctly.
{{/usCountry}}On August 10, a day after the R G Kar Hospital incident, another civic volunteer, Susanta Roy, arrived as a patient at the Bhatar State General Hospital in East Burdwan district and allegedly threatened a female doctor with the same consequence as the Kolkata victim if she did not treat him correctly.
{{/usCountry}}“The doctor carried out her duty and later lodged a complaint with the health department officials, following which he was arrested,” a district police officer said.
{{/usCountry}}“The doctor carried out her duty and later lodged a complaint with the health department officials, following which he was arrested,” a district police officer said.
{{/usCountry}}On August 18, Md Hasan Gazi, a 35-year-old civic volunteer attached to the Mograhat police station in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested for stealing Rs.40,000 from the bank account of a retired session court judge in June by using the latter’s ATM card.
{{/usCountry}}On August 18, Md Hasan Gazi, a 35-year-old civic volunteer attached to the Mograhat police station in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested for stealing Rs.40,000 from the bank account of a retired session court judge in June by using the latter’s ATM card.
{{/usCountry}}“Investigation revealed that Gazi stole the ATM card. Security cameras caught him withdrawing the money,” a district police officer said.
The unnatural death of Anis Khan, a student leader from Kolkata’s Aliah University, in February 2022, created a stir across Bengal.
The charge sheet filed by the state police said an attempt was being made to illegally detain Khan when he jumped from the roof of his home in Howrah district. Charges were brought against two police officers, a home guard, and two civic volunteers. The case is being heard by the Calcutta high court.
On March 21, 2023, Calcutta high court judge Rajasekhar Mantha ordered the government to issue a clear set of guidelines on duties to be performed by these volunteers. The judge gave the order while hearing a case pertaining to a missing citizen whose family alleged that he was picked up from home in 2022 by policemen and two civic volunteers.
On May 24, 2023, the West Bengal police directorate passed an order stating civic volunteers will only “assist” police units deployed to manage traffic, tackle illegal parking, manage crowds during festivals, and ensure public safety.
“A civic volunteer cannot be entrusted with any law enforcement duties,” said the order, which cited justice Mantha’s direction to the government.
At R G Kar Hospital, Sanjay Roy was not performing any of these duties, officials said.
Roy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found, was attached to the Kolkata Police Welfare Committee and assigned to visit police personnel and their relatives admitted at various hospitals.
While this explained how Roy entered R G Kar Hospital, the investigators are trying to find out how he reached the third-floor seminar hall in the chest department—where the victim’s body was found—so late at night.
According to the post-mortem report, the crime took place between 3am and 5am on August 9. Outsiders are not allowed to enter any hospital ward at such hours. The CBI has sought the court’s permission to make Roy take the polygraph test on camera.
CBI has questioned Anup Dutta, a Kolkata police assistant sub-inspector whose photos with Roy were found on social media.
Low manpower in the West Bengal police, a reason often cited to justify recruitment of civic volunteers, was recently discussed in the Lok Sabha as well.
In reply to a question, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai told the Parliament on March 28, 2023, that Bihar and West Bengal have the lowest ratio of police personnel to per lakh (0.1 million) population in the country at 75.16 and 97.66, respectively.
Rai said that according to the Bureau of Police Research and Development, the same ratio for the whole country as on January 1, 2022 is 196.23 as per sanctioned strength and 152.80 as per actual strength.
The sanctioned strength for Bengal is 160.76, Rai said in his written reply.
Samik Bhattacharya, chief spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party Bengal unit, alleged that the volunteers comprise an army that TMC has raised with tax payers’ money.
“They have been accused of extorting money from truckers and shopkeepers and intimidating opposition party workers during elections. Strong action is the need of the hour,” Bhattacharya said.
No TMC leader commented on the issue till Thursday afternoon.