Protest erupts in Kolkata after Ex-RG Kar principal gets bail in rape case
Court granted bail to Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal after CBI failed to file chargesheet within 90 days in RG Kar rape and murder case
Kolkata: Protests have erupted in Kolkata after a high court granted bail on Friday to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to submit the chargesheet within the 90-day period.
Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in connection with the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital on August 9. They were accused of “tampering with evidence” and “facilitating the hasty cremation of the woman doctor,” while her family had specifically demanded a second autopsy.
The parents of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered, along with various doctors’ associations and political parties, took to the streets demanding justice for the victim.
“We don’t know what the CBI is planning. We are, however, not losing hope. We will fight till the end to get justice. The legal battle and the fight on the streets will continue in parallel,” the victim’s father told media personnel while attending a protest rally in Salt Lake on Saturday.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) held a protest rally from Karunamoyee to the CBI’s office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake in the afternoon.
“Today, men like Ghosh have been granted bail. Tomorrow, he may be reinstated in a reputed medical college. We will remain on the roads until we get justice. We had faith in the CBI, but what is the agency doing?” said Debasish Halder, a member of the WBJDF.
The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI(C)] also organised a protest march along the same route earlier during the day.
“We will submit a deputation to the CBI, but it will be just a blank paper because we are all shocked and left speechless. We had a lot of expectations, but the CBI has done nothing,” Chandidas Bhattacharya, SUCI(C) leader, told the media.
Congress workers staged a demonstration outside the Nizam Palace, where the CBI has another wing, and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) held a protest rally in central Kolkata.
The Joint Platform of Doctors, an umbrella body of various organisations, held a rally at Esplanade on Saturday afternoon and announced that doctors, health workers, and citizens from all walks of life would soon hit the streets.
“We are disappointed and angry. We will soon hit the streets in protest. We want to send a message to the state government and the federal agency that they need to do everything to ensure the girl gets justice,” said Dr Utpal Banerjee, a member of the Joint Platform of Doctors.
Meanwhile, the Service Doctors’ Forum (SDF) has sent a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her intervention as solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the CBI, told the bench of the Chief Justice of India on Tuesday that the Bengal government had not granted its sanction for the federal agency’s request for prosecution proceedings against Ghosh and Mondal.
“We urge you to ensure that all those involved in the horrific incident of rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College, as well as those who attempted to suppress evidence, are brought to justice swiftly,” the letter said.
The SDF’s letter also demanded exemplary action against state government officials who refused to give permission to the CBI to initiate proceedings against Ghosh and Mondal.
Senior lawyer Vrinda Grover, who was representing the victim’s family, has withdrawn from the high-profile case too. “We have already held talks with another advocate. We will continue to fight,” said the victim’s father.
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