The mother of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College Hospital last year on Saturday alleged that she was roughed up by police personnel during a march to the West Bengal state secretariat in Kolkata to mark one year of the gruesome crime. The march also led to chaos in parts of Kolkata and neighbouring city of Howrah on Saturday as protesters clashed with police.
The demonstration was called by the parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and killed at the hospital on August 9, 2025. They were joined by Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly and a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Suvendu Adhikari, along with other party leaders.
The rally began around noon at Rani Rashmoni Road, with protesters waving national flags and marching toward Nabanna in Howrah. Police had erected iron barricades, guard rails, and deployed large contingents of officers along the routes in both Kolkata and Howrah. Clashes broke out at Park Street, where protesters tried to dismantle guard rails and break through barricades. Police responded with lathi charge, halting the march.
“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,” her mother told reporters, and alleged that four to five police personnel manhandled her during the scuffle between police and protesters.
“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.
{{/usCountry}}“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.
{{/usCountry}}The victim’s father also accused the police of “harassing the protesters” and trying “every means at their disposal to stop the agitators from conducting their march”.
He added that despite having court permission to observe a peaceful rally, multiple attempts were made by police to stop them from joining the march. “We had to come dodging police at several points to get here,” he said, claiming that the obstructions were a violation of their lawful right to join the march. “We demand the resignation of the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee). Today’s march to Nabanna has been organised to protest against the way she tried to cover up the crime,” he said.
Later in the day, the victim’s parents were taken to a private hospital for treatment and medical check-up.
A protester said: “The police can fire upon us, but we are determined to reach Nabanna, where the state government must answer why justice has not been delivered even after one year.”
The police, however, have denied having used any force on the parents of the victim.
“We have no information about the victim’s parents getting beaten up by the police at the Park Street crossing. Police did not do anything to the parents at this point. But their allegations will be duly investigated,” DC (Port), Harikrishna Pai told reporters.
Earlier, on August 8, the Kolkata Police had imposed Section 163 of the BNSS in areas adjoining Nabanna. “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,” it had posted on X.
Reacting to the police action, Adhikari, who was part of the protest march, attacked chief minister Mamata Banerjee. “The victim’s parents were injured. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s sins will doom her. It is now the citizens versus Mamata” he said.
Adhikari, along with BJP leader Agnimitra Paul and other party MLAs, staged a sit-in at the Park Street-J L Nehru Road crossing in protest against police action.
The TMC rejected the charges and accused the BJP of trying to create divisions in the society.
“The victim’s parents were injured. The Mamata Banerjee administration is fearing this massive crowd which has gathered in protest. She will pay dearly for this. This protest is only going to get bigger from here,” Adhikari said.
Hitting back, TMC leader and state minister Shashi Panja said, “The BJP is trying to intimidate citizens and create division in society on the day of Raksha Bandhan. The BJP has shown no respect for Bengal’s traditions and are 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 anti- Bengali.”
TMC social media cell chief Debanshu Bhattacharya also blamed the “BJP’s narrow and dirty politics” for the ruckus on the streets.
“This is exactly what the BJP wanted, to create chaos on the streets and, when police respond, get the victim’s parents involved in it. I feel sorry for the victim’s parents who were trapped in the narrow and dirty politics of the BJP,” he said.