A protest organised by hundreds of junior doctors was held on Monday before the Lalbazar headquarters of the Kolkata Police, calling for the resignation of Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal in connection with the suspected rape and killing of a female colleague from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Protesters alleged that Goyal mishandled their investigation and lacked competency.
The doctors insisted on meeting with the Commissioner despite being blocked by barriers on BB Ganguly Street when they began their march from College Square at 2:00 pm. To represent the police’s inability to safeguard the public, they held a replica of a spine and red roses. One protestor stated, “The spine represents the Commissioner’s lack of courage to deliver justice.” Since August 14, junior doctors at RG Kar Hospital have been protesting for 23 days, claiming police being slow in putting an end to damage. They also urged that the culprits of the August 9 event get extraordinary punishment, criticising the investigation’s sluggish development.
The doctors sat on the road, obstructing traffic, and threatened to continue their dharna until their demands were fulfilled, resisting police attempts to disperse the assembly.
They also screamed anti-justice slogans and set fire to an effigy of the Commissioner. The case was recently referred to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court, which cited inadequate action taken by the local police. To keep the peace, there was a significant police presence at the protest location.