KOLKATA: Doctors, along with people from various walks of life, once again took to Kolkata’s streets Saturday to protest against alleged failure of CBI in RG Kar rape-murder probe.
Demanding speedy justice for the victim – a 31-year-old trainee doctor – the protesters asked why CBI failed to file a chargesheet against former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and former Tala police station OC Abhijit Mandal within 90 days of their arrest. The protests were held a day after the two were granted bail by a special court.
Members of West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, Service Doctors’ Forum, Medical Service Centre, and Nurses’ Unity marched from Karunamoyee in Salt Lake to CGO Complex.
The victim’s parents also joined the protest in Salt Lake Saturday. The victim’s father said, “We don’t know what CBI is doing, but we will have to continue with the legal battle.”
Soumyodip Roy, a WBJDF member and junior doctor at RG Kar, said, “CBI will have to take responsibility for its failure. We will carry on with our protest till the victim gets justice. We want to know why CBI did not submit chargesheet in stipulated time. Was it pre-planned to safeguard the accused who have got bail?”
Meanwhile, SDF wrote to Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and CBI deputy director Saturday expressing anguish over Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal being granted bail. “We urged the CM to grant CBI the required approvals to file chargesheet without further delay,” said Sajal Biswas, a doctor and SDF general secretary.
Alleging a nexus between the governing parties in state and at Centre, members of Abhaya Manch held a protest on Rani Rashmoni Avenue and burnt effigies of CM Banerjee, PM Modi, and the CBI director. The protesters got into a scuffle with police when the latter tried to stop them.
Dhritiman Sengupta, a protester, said, “Cops pushed us and tried to shoo us away from the protest site. We are demanding immediate submission of supplementary chargesheet by CBI and that NOC be given to the agency to submit chargesheet against Ghosh.”
Marking four months of the “historic reclaim the night” movement, women and members of trans and queer communities staged a “Scream of Courage” protest at Ranuchaya Mancha on Cathedral Road. Members of the Students Federation of India, the student body of CPM, SUCI, and Congress, held protests in different places on Saturday.