Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Mob vandalises RG Kar hospital; what happened during midnight protest

Pritha Roy Choudhury and Anu Parthiban

KOLKATA/ NEW DELHI: In another horrifying turn-of-events, some unidentified miscreants entered the premises of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital shortly after midnight on Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility. The incident took place amid the junior doctors protest against the alleged Kolkata doctor rape and murder under the banner “Reclaim the Night”.

Following this, the BJP today demanded the resignation of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the vandalism of the state-run medical college. Meanwhile, demanding proper security on the premises, the nurses started their protest early this morning, hours after the unidentified miscreants ransacked a part of the medical facility. However, the doctors confirmed that the seminar hall, where the PG trainee doctor was found dead, was intact.

According to reports, around 40 people, masquerading as protestors, entered the hospital premises, vandalized the medical college property.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged rape and death of the woman doctor to CBI.

Also read Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Judicial inquiry, resignation of RG Kar Medical College officials in demands

What happened at RG Kar medical college on August 14

Around 600 to 700 doctors had gathered on the hospital premises to march toward Shyam Bazar. However, they were confronted by a mob of over 2,000 people who blocked the protestors’ path.

“We kept requesting them to clear the way or provide an alternative route so that we could take our rally. We wanted to start our peaceful march from RG Kar to Shyam Bazar Mor around midnight, but they refused to budge. After repeated requests went unanswered, we decided to hold our rally on the hospital premises instead,” said Dr Trinesh Mondal, who completed his MBBS at SSKM and is protesting at RG Kar Medical College since the time the incident of murder-rape took place.

A group of women doctors, accompanied by a few male colleagues, began marching toward the auditorium of the medical college. Meanwhile, most of the male doctors remained at the protest site when the mob barged in, breaking through the police barricade.

“They used bamboo, broken glass bottles, and anything they could find to vandalize the premises. They entered the emergency building and damaged medical equipment, injuring two doctors who were attending to patients. They also went to the seminar room where the incident took place and attempted to destroy evidence,” Mondal added.

The rally was attacked by the mob around 12.30 am when they toppled the police barricade and began vandalizing the hospital. Police arrived around 1:30 am and resorted to lathi-charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Resident doctors from across the state will hold a meeting today to decide on the next course of action, Mondal stated.