1 year since R G Kar rape-murder: Kolkata Police lathicharge protesters to halt secretariat march
Clashes broke out at Park Street, where protesters tried to dismantle guard rails and break through barricades. Police responded with lathi charge, halting the march.
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The demonstration was called by the parents of a junior doctor who was raped and killed at R G Kar Medical College Hospital on August 9, 2025. (PTI Photo)PARTS OF Kolkata, including Dharmatala and the neighbouring city of Howrah, witnessed chaos on Saturday, a day that marked the completion of one year of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital, and left the mother of the victim hospitalised with a head injury she suffered when the police lathicharged the protesters.
The police-protesters face off took place in phases and at multiple points during the ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’, a march toward the state secretariat, Nabanna, demanding justice for the RG Kar victim, which had at least three converging processions of agitators in both Kolkata and Howrah amid elaborate police arrangements that included setting up of iron barricades as high as 10 feet to stop protestors’ progress.
The march to Nabanna was called by the parents of the deceased doctor and they were joined by Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, who reached the site around 1 pm, MLA Agnimitra Paul, MLA Ashok Dinda and others.
BJP supporters arrived in large numbers to join the protest with banners demanding justice for the doctor and also demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister at Dorina crossing around 11 am.
Before leaving their residence, the woman’s mother told mediapersons, “…My daughter had goals in life that she was achieving. I was and still am proud of her. Our fight is going on and will continue. The CBI is trying to tell us that Sanjoy Roy is the only culprit…”
Meanwhile, the father claimed, “Due to pressure from the government, my neighbours and those in the locality do not even talk to us properly, they see us and walk away. It’s like we have been ostracised. But this does not matter to us.”
The police also closed the Vidyasagar Setu, or Second Hooghly Bridge, and the Howrah Bridge to traffic. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
The rally began around noon at Rani Rashmoni Road, with protesters waving national flags and marching toward Nabanna in Howrah. Police had put up iron barricades, guard rails and deployed large contingents of officers along the routes in both Kolkata and Howrah.
The parents and the BJP leaders, including Adhikari, did not follow the route suggested by the police and turned towards Park Street instead of heading to Rani Rashmoni Road.
The police deployed at Rani Rashmoni Road area continuously kept announcing that protesters should maintain peace, with banners put up saying “maintain peace”, “Do not cross line” and “cooperate with the police.”
Clashes broke out at Park Street, when protesters tried to dismantle guard rails, a few iron barricades and break through barricades, which were covered with nets.
The police resorted to lathicharge and tried to stop the rally, drones were used for aerial surveillance. Rapid Action Force (RAF), combat force were present along with the police.
In Howrah, protesters at Santragachi climbed iron barricades in an attempt to cross over, while others at Howrah Maidan were stopped by police. Demonstrators from multiple locations tried to converge on Nabanna, but were thwarted.
The police also closed the Vidyasagar Setu, or Second Hooghly Bridge, and the Howrah Bridge to traffic. “As Vidyasagar Setu is closed for preventive law and order measures, citizens are requested to avail the Nivedita Setu for commuting/journey,” the West Bengal Police said in a statement.
The mother of the deceased doctor allegedly suffered injuries during a police lathicharge and she has been admitted to a private hospital, sources said.
The police, however, have denied all the allegations.
In Howrah, protesters at Santragachi climbed iron barricades in an attempt to cross over, while others at Howrah Maidan were stopped by police. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
The victim’s father accused the police of attempting to block the rally at its starting point. “People’s voices will not be throttled. Police cannot stop the protests. They tried to stop us from coming to the venue of the protest in Rani Rashmoni Road. But somehow, we evaded the police and came here. We will get justice,” he said.
The BJP MLAs and leaders including Adhikari alleged that they were manhandled and baton charged by police. “We came here without BJP flag. This is our democratic right. Why are the police stopping us?,” Adhikari said. “We will not budge. The Mamata government is scared. That is why the cops are doing this,” the senior BJP leader told mediapersons, adding “Over 100 protesters were injured.”
Traffic was affected for several hours after Adhikari and other BJP leaders staged a sit-in at the site after being stopped by the police.
After more than three hours of sit-in before the police barricades, Adhikari with drew the dharna around 4 pm and decided to visit the victim’s parents in the private hospital.
Lashing out at the Kolkata Police Commissioner, Adhikari said, “Manoj Verma, the current police commissioner wants to save Vineet Goyal. They wanted to cover up the whole case. The way the parents are fighting for justice they are worried that everyone including Mamata Banerjee will get entangled. We just had placards on plastic sticks and the police had tear gas, sticks and what not to stop a peaceful protest.
Sashi Panja, state Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare said, “Today is Rakhi Utsav or Raksha Bandhan. Today, Rabindranath Tagore celebrated this Utsav as communal harmony. BJP is trying to intimidate people and divide them. On this day, the BJP spread anarchy in the streets of Bengal. They resorted to intimidation on the streets today. They scared people… They do not know Bengali culture.”
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