‘You failed, step down’: Protesting doctors meet Kolkata Police commissioner after 22-hour dharna

Since Monday afternoon, hundreds of junior doctors squatted near the Kolkata Police headquarters over alleged lack of progress in the rape-murder investigation and the way it was initially handled.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case live updates: A day after protesting doctors of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) marched to the police headquarters in Lalbazar, the forum is scheduled to hold a pen down programme today. (PTI)

Protesting doctors celebrate the arrest of Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, amid allegations of financial misconduct linked to the institution. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

The junior doctors agitating over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday met Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal after staging a dharna for 22 hours near the city police headquarters in Lalbazar, asking him to step down from his post claiming that he had failed in performing his duty.

The police agreed to allow 22 representatives of doctors to meet Goyal and submit their deputation.

The deadlock ended after some senior police officials held a meeting with the junior doctors for the third time. The doctors marched towards Lalbazar on Monday afternoon as part of their ‘Lalbazar Abhiyan’ call but were stopped near the Police Commissioner’s office by putting up barricades and guardrails.

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The deputation submitted by the Junior Doctors’ Forum read, “You have failed as CP of Kolkata Police to protect the sanctity of the crime scene and stop the renovation work nearby…You have failed as CP of Kolkata Police to ensure a transparent investigation of rape and murder of Abhaya and speedy arrest of the culprits…In view of the aforementioned historic failure which serves as a blot in the policing history of this country, we demand you to step down from the chair of Police Commissioner immediately…”

A protesting junior doctor said, “We have met with the Police Commissioner and submitted a deputation seeking his resignation. We are yet to get justice and our agitation will continue. While we held the meeting we carried there a replica of a spinal cord. This was to protest and show him that he did not have one.”

Earlier, a protester said, “We were demanding since yesterday to be able to march in a peaceful manner and have our representatives meet the Police Commissioner. But the police did not allow us… Finally, now they have agreed, and we will march forward.”

“They were allowed to march 100 metres towards Lalbazar. Their representatives can meet the CP,” said a senior police official.

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Since Monday afternoon, hundreds of junior doctors squatted near the Kolkata Police headquarters over alleged lack of progress in the rape-murder investigation and the way it was initially handled. Despite attempts by the police to disperse the crowd, the protesting doctors remained on the road, blocking traffic, and vowing to continue until their demands were met.

The agitating doctors had also burnt an effigy of the Police Commissioner on Monday.

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