Kolkata rape-murder case highlights: IMA reiterates demand for central law on violence against doctors

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Two security guards were arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting doctors and other staff members at a hospital in the Cossipore area of the city, police said. Officials indicated that the guards were likely intoxicated at the time of the incident.

"The matter is under investigation. We arrested the guards after receiving a complaint from the hospital authorities," said an officer from Cossipore Police Station.

A senior hospital official also alleged that the guards had threatened him with severe consequences.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday claimed that the West Bengal government was still trying to obstruct the Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder case enquiry and save the accused.

"The state government tried to create confusion among the public and destroy the evidence...The state government is still trying to obstruct the enquiry and save the accused. The state police is not coordinating with CBI... Every work that is being done by the state government, be it the principal, be it the DC, be it the CP or from the Chief Minister to all other leaders, these people want to dilute it deliberately," Ghosh told ANI.

"Even before this 48,000 such cases of crime have happened during Mamata Banerjee's rule, none of them has been solved," Ghosh added.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Walking under the banner ‘Teachers for RG Kar,’ teachers from various Kolkata schoolswalked from Sealdah station to Shyambazar, near which the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is situated.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: The Kolkata Police has released from its custody Sayan Lahiri, claimed to be one of the organisers of the August 27 march to the West Bengal secretariat to protest the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Indian Medical Association has written to the National Task Force (NTF), which has been mandated to formulate protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: “As far as I know my 'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee), what she said was a very mature thing. She meant to say that if they are trying to instigate people over the Kolkata incident which is being heard in the Supreme Court and being probed by the CBI, the impact of this will not be limited to just West Bengal,” according to Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: CV Ananda Bose arrives at the residence of Arjun Ram Meghwal in Delhi.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose departs from Banga Bhawan in Delhi, having met Union home minister Amit Shah in the national capital.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Singer Shreya Ghoshal took to Instagram and X on Saturday to announce that she will not be performing in Kolkata in September as she was 'deeply affected' by the recent 'gruesome' rape and murder of a doctor in the city. Read more

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Speaking at an event, PM Modi on Saturday described crimes against women and children as ‘serious concerns for the society.’

“Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of the society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get,” he said. Read more

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: According to protestors at the night vigil, the biker was ‘allowed to go’ by the police officials without being prosecuted.

The participants of the night vigil resorted to the road blockade demanding that penal action be taken against the offender.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: A night vigil being held at Kolkata's was disrupted after a biker, with ‘police’ written on the motorcycle, entered the protest area on BT Road at Sinthi crossing near Rabindra Bharati University on Saturday morning.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: “Like an embarrassing and self-defeating hit wicket in cricket or a self-goal in Football, Mamata Banerjee's letter has totally exposed her dishonesty and also completely exposed her Himalayan failure in implementing the strong, robust legal network provided by prime minister Narendra Modi's central government for women's protection and women's safety,” BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan said in a video message on X.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case who is currently detained at Presidency correctional home, has reportedly shown dissatisfaction with the meals provided in the prison. Read more

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: The Assam government has directed that safety and security measures for doctors and healthcare professionals be implemented immediately in all hospitals across the state.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Dr Suvrankar Datta, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) and a senior resident doctor at AIIMS New Delhi, said, "We are organising a large peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on August 31 to seek justice for our colleague at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal. We also call on the Central Government to implement a nationwide protection act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence. Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on September 5, I urge doctors to join us at Jantar Mantar from 3pm to 5pm. We want to demonstrate our unity and demand increased security in hospitals across the country."

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: West Bengal government’s bureaucratic reshuffle announced on Friday night:

• Prabhat Kumar Mishra: The 1993 batch IAS officer has been appointed as Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, with additional responsibilities for the Department of Planning and Statistics. Previously, he was the Additional Chief Secretary of the Irrigation and Waterways Department.

• Manoj Pant: The 1991 batch IAS officer has been designated as Additional Chief Secretary of the Irrigation and Waterways Department. He was previously the Additional Chief Secretary of Finance and the Officer on Special Duty at the Cabinet Secretariat in New Delhi.

• Roshni Sen: The 1993 batch IAS officer has been appointed as Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Investigation and Development Department, along with her role as Project Director ADMI. She will also continue overseeing Fisheries, Aquaculture, Aquatic Resources, and Fishing Harbour, and serve as Chairman and Managing Director of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Kolkata Police commissioner regarding the alleged use of excessive and brutal force on protesters on August 27. The demonstrators were seeking justice for the victim of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case. The NHRC has requested an action-taken report from the police commissioner within two weeks.

The notice, issued on Thursday, follows a complaint filed by OP Vyas from the Bharatiya Human Rights Initiative (BHIM).