Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Hospital services hit across Bengal, doctors continue to cease work

Kolkata: Hospital services across West Bengal were disrupted on Monday as junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees continued their strike for the fourth consecutive day, protesting the rape and murder of a woman doctor and demanding a magisterial inquiry into her death. R G Kar Medical College and Hospital is the oldest hospital in India. Doctors across the country have joined the stir on Monday morning.

A hue and cry over the incident is not only in West Bengal but across India as doctors are upset with the crime committed inside the hospital premises. Doctors state that the seminar room is considered the safest in the hospital.

Protest from three days

Over the past three days, junior doctors had been attending to emergency duties, but as of Monday morning, they have ceased even those responsibilities, sources said.

"We want an impartial investigation into the murder of our colleague, either by the CBI or a sitting magistrate. We are dissatisfied with the current police investigation and will continue our protest until justice is served and the state ensures foolproof security for all doctors and healthcare workers," said a protesting junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place.

The body of the woman post-graduate trainee was found inside a seminar hall of the hospital on Friday morning. To tackle the situation, the state government has canceled the leave of all senior doctors to manage the situation.

"Our senior doctors are on duty, and we hope they will handle the patient influx. They have been instructed to work until the situation stabilises," an official told PTI. On Mondays, the outpatient departments of state government hospitals experience a large volume of patients.

FORDA endorses the strike

Support for the agitating doctors has been pouring in from various parts of the country. The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association of India (FORDA) has endorsed the strike and called for a nationwide halt of elective services on Monday, informing the Union Health Ministry of their decision. The West Bengal Doctors Forum has also appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for an impartial inquiry committee to investigate the rape and murder of the doctor. Additionally, they have demanded increased security for doctors and health workers across the state and capital punishment for the perpetrator.

Civic worker arrested for rape

A civic worker was arrested by police. The man returned to his place and went to sleep before washing his clothes the next morning to destroy evidence, a police officer probing the case claimed. The police, however, found marks of blood on the shoe of the accused. It is also found that the volunteer is not associated with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but used to frequent the place.

The body of a woman post-graduate trainee was found on Friday morning. The civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday.

Kolkata police commissioner visits hospital

City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the medical establishment on Sunday for the second time in three days and held a meeting with representatives of agitating junior doctors. He claimed that the probe is "transparent" and urged people not to spread rumours.

"After committing the crime, the accused went back to the place where he was staying and slept till late on Friday morning. After waking up, he washed the clothes he was wearing during the crime to destroy evidence. His shoes, with blood stains on them, were found during a search," the officer said. Asked if anyone else was involved in the crime as alleged by some quarters, he said, "As of now there is no evidence of that."

The police were waiting for the final post-mortem examination report as they wanted to match it with their probe findings, the officer said. The initial autopsy report stated that the victim was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips.

Another police officer said that circumstantial evidence also indicated a possibility that the doctor was first murdered and then raped. "We are also talking to persons who were on duty on Thursday night till the next morning. CCTV footage is also being checked," the police officer said.

Sample from seminar hall

A team of police officers of the SIT, along with the forensic unit on Sunday, collected samples from the seminar hall of the hospital, a police source said. The police also reconstructed the crime scene though the arrested accused was not present, the officer said. "The autopsy report has been handed over to the parents of the deceased doctor today by one of our senior officers. We had a fruitful meeting with the students and we think they are satisfied. As per their demand, we have removed one assistant police officer who was posted here," the police commissioner said.

Goyal said the police are not trying to hide anyone, and the investigation is transparent. The IPS officer said that they would soon start a toll-free number for the poeple to come up with suggestions or complaints.

(Inputs from PTI)