New twist in Kolkata rape case, TMC's Kunal Ghosh claims ‘conspiracy’ to attack doctors, posts audio clip

The arrests came a day after TMC leader Kunal Ghosh released an audio clip of a phone call, alleging a conspiracy to attack the protesting junior doctors.

Two persons, including CPI(M) leader Kalatan Dasgupta, were arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to attack the junior doctors outside the Swashtya Bhawan at Salt Lake in Kolkata who have been protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh (PTI)

The arrests came a day after Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh released an audio clip of a phone call, alleging that a political conspiracy was being hatched to attack the protesting doctors to defame the Mamata Banerjee government in the state.

While Dasgupta was held from the protest site outside Swashtya Bhawan in Sector 5, the other accused, identified as Sanjiv Das, was arrested from Haltu in south Kolkata on Friday night, reported news agency PTI. The Kolkata Police has also lodged a suo motu case in connection with the audio clip.

What did the audio clip say?

In the audio clip shared by Kunal Ghosh at a press briefing, two persons can be purportedly heard planning an attack on the doctors while a team had gone to Nabanna (state secretariat) to meet Mamata Banerjee on Thursday evening. The two men can also be heard planning to blame the attack on the ruling TMC.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip.

In the clip, one man tells the other that he had received instructions from “Saheb” to attack the protest venue. To this, the other man urges him to do it. In reply, the first man says that while he had been doing such things for years, his conscience is not allowing him to attack them as they are doctors.

However, the second man can be heard trying to convince the first man saying he does not need to “finish” them but only “attack them”, reported The Times of India.

Later, the first man says someone called"Bappada" had asked him to carry out the attack and blame it on the TMC.

Following the audio clip, Kunal Ghosh asserted that the party has “credible information” that some Left and ultra-Left parties were conspiring to infiltrate into the ranks of the protesters and carry out the attack to defame the TMC and the Mamata Banerjee government.

Meanwhile, after the clip was released, several CCTV cameras were installed at over 12 locations at the protest site and the deployment of police personnel was increased from 250 to around 500, reported TOI.

Junior doctors protest

The medics have been camping outside Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the state health department, since Tuesday with a host of demands, including better security at state-run hospitals and the removal of top officials over the rape and murder case.

The junior doctors continued their sit-in demonstration for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday, even as incessant rain lashed the city.

However, the doctors have said that they are looking forward to talks with a competent authority to resolve the ongoing impasse.

(With inputs from PTI)