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‘Hit me with a baton’: RG Kar rape victim’s mother alleges assault by Mamata’s police
The mother claimed that in the scuffle, her 'shankha' (traditional conch shell bangle) was broken and she sustained a head injury.
The parents of the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder victim were allegedly injured in a clash in Kolkata on Saturday when police resorted to baton-charge to disperse protestors who were participating in a march to the West Bengal secretariat.
“Police have hit me with a baton. I have sustained an injury on my forehead. My husband was also hit. What have we done? A year ago, my daughter was killed. Today they tried to kill me. Several people have been injured,” the victim’s mother told media persons.
On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered inside the city's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Sanjay Roy, a 34-year-old civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The victim’s parents, however, claimed that Roy wasn’t the sole perpetrator.
Thousands of people hit the streets on the call given by the victim’s parents to join the march to Nabanna to mark one year since the crime. BJP legislators, including Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state legislative assembly Suvendu Adhikari, also joined the protest march.
“We demand the resignation of the chief minister. Today’s march to Nabanna has been organised to protest against the way she tried to cover up the crime. Police have become highly politicised. They tried to stop us at every point today. We had to play hide and seek to join the march,” the victim’s father told media persons earlier during the day.
Police in Kolkata and Howrah made elaborate arrangements to stop the protestors from reaching the state secretariat at Nabanna in Howrah. Iron barricades, at least 10 – 12 feet high, were put up at multiple locations. Large contingents of police and RAF were deployed, and water cannons were kept on standby.
At around 1.40 pm when a few hundred protestors reached Park Street, they were stopped by the police. When the agitators tried to break the barricade, police resorted to a lathi charge, in which the victim’s parents were injured. BJP leaders sat on the road and staged a demonstration.
“There were some red marks on her (victim’s mother) back. There was swelling on her forehead. She needs to undergo a CT scan. There is a chance of concussion injury in such cases. She complained of nausea,” said a doctor who participated in the march.
“The victim’s parents were injured. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's sins will doom her. It is now the citizens versus Mamata, women versus Mamata. More than 100 people have been injured. Mamata has to leave,” said Adhikari.
On Friday, the Kolkata Police stated that two places—Santragachi Bus Stand in Howrah and Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Kolkata—were earmarked for the 'Nabanna Abhijaan' as per orders of the Calcutta High Court.
“Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS have been promulgated in areas adjoining Nabanna, and any assembly therein will be deemed illegal. As clearly laid down by the Calcutta high court, the programme must remain peaceful and must not cause any harm to the police, government authorities or public property,” the Kolkata Police had written on X.
“The BJP is trying to intimidate citizens and create division in society on the day of Raksha Bandhan. BJP has shown no respect for Bengal’s traditions and is attempting to disrupt law and order while people celebrate the sacred bond of brotherhood and sisterhood. This is the real face of the BJP. They are Bangla Birodhi (anti-Bengali),” said Shashi Panja, TMC leader and state minister.
