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Kolkata: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan fans protest for justice in RG Kar Hospital case | Video
The fans of the two arch-rival clubs protested outside the Salt Lake Stadium. The Durand Cup match had already been cancelled amid ongoing protests in the city.
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Dramatic scenes were witnessed outside Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday evening, as fans of arch-rival football clubs, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, held a joint protest seeking justice for the victim doctor in the rape and murder case at the city's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The protesters, many of whom were in jerseys of their clubs, displayed posters with the slogan, “We want justice.” They also raised slogans demanding justice for the deceased medic, who was a trainee.
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Also, there were reports of a lathi charge by the police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) on the fans.
The fans were later detained by Kolkata Police. The Durand Cup match between the teams had already been cancelled after organisers were informed by the police that providing security for the game would be a ‘big challenge’ amid protests in the West Bengal capital.
Meanwhile, Kalyan Chaubey, President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), slammed the authorities, saying that all that was needed for the match, was only 50% of the total police strength deployed to ‘arrest’ the clubs' supporters.
“I believe that football is above religion and caste. I am fully confident that if you organise the match here, there will be no ruckus, no unrest in the football ground, I am fully confident that the people will support their teams peacefully but the match should not be shifted from here. The fans also want that the culprit should be caught as soon as possible and punished,” said Chaubey, a member of West Bengal's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a former India goalkeeper.
The demonstration outside the stadium was held amid a seven-day prohibition on gatherings outside the RG Kar Hospital, where the rape and murder occurred on August 9.
