Kolkata: Fresh protests erupt after ex-RG Kar principal granted bail
What's the story
Fresh protests have erupted in Kolkata after Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, were granted bail. The duo was granted bail by Sealdah court on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to file a chargesheet within 90 days. Ghosh and Mondal were arrested for conspiring to cover up the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the hospital on August 9.
Bail details
Accused granted bail due to CBI's delay in chargesheet submission
The two were accused of tampering with evidence and enabling the hasty cremation of the victim, despite her family demanding a second autopsy. The victim's parents had expressed heartbreak and disappointment with the CBI, saying it seemed like the "system" was failing them. "We are heartbroken. We trusted the CBI to deliver justice, but now we are left wondering if we will ever see justice for our daughter," said the victim's father.
Protests intensify
Doctors' associations and political parties join protests
Various doctors' associations and political parties have also lent their voices to the protests demanding justice for the victim. The West Bengal Junior Doctors's Front (WBJDF) took out a protest rally from Karunamoyee to the CBI's office at Salt Lake. A member of WBJDF, Debasish Halder, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times, "Today, men like Ghosh have been granted bail. Tomorrow, he may be reinstated in a reputed medical college."
Citywide demonstrations
Protests spread across Kolkata, demand justice for victim
The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI(C)] also took out a protest march on the same route earlier in the day. Congress workers protested outside Nizam Palace, where another wing of CBI is located, while the Students's Federation of India (SFI) held a rally in central Kolkata. The Joint Platform of Doctors announced further protests involving doctors, health workers, and citizens alike.
Twitter Post
Junior doctors, nurses and others stage protest outside CBI Office
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Junior doctors, nurses and others stage a protest outside the CBI Office, against the bail granted to former Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Sandip Ghosh and Tala Police Station's former Officer-in-charge, Abhijit Mondal. pic.twitter.com/J9afL5ohqJ
— ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2024
Official appeal
Service Doctors's Forum seeks intervention from Chief Minister
Additionally, the Service Doctors's Forum (SDF) wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting her intervention. The letter called for swift justice for those involved in the incident and action against state officials who obstructed CBI proceedings against Ghosh and Mondal. Although Ghosh was granted bail for lack of chargesheet submission, he remains in custody due to separate charges of financial irregularities during his tenure at RG Kar Medical College from 2021 to 2024.