Outrage and protests continue to grip Kolkata following the brutal rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident, which occurred on Friday, has sent shockwaves through the city and beyond, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for swift justice.
The victim, a postgraduate trainee doctor in the Chest medicine department, was found partially clothed inside the seminar hall of the government-run hospital. A preliminary autopsy report revealed signs of sexual assault before her death, which occurred between 3:00 am and 6:00 am. Chilling details of the crime have emerged, including the discovery of the doctor’s broken neck bone, leading police to believe she was first strangled and then smothered to death. Questions remain about whether there was a single perpetrator or multiple individuals involved in this heinous act.
On Saturday, Kolkata Police arrested a ‘civic volunteer’ who had access to all departments of the hospital. The arrest was made after a Bluetooth headphone, retrieved from the seminar hall, led investigators to the suspect. Local media reports suggest the civic volunteer had gone out for alcohol at 11 pm and returned at 3 am, the time when the doctor was presumed to have been raped and killed.
However, allegations of a cover-up have emerged, with some questioning whether the arrested individual is merely a scapegoat. CPI(M)’s Dipsita Dhar raised concerns about the preliminary post-mortem report, suggesting that the brutality inflicted on the doctor was impossible without the involvement of multiple criminals.
The incident has sparked widespread protests by junior doctors, with the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) AIIMS holding a candle march in support of the victim. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has announced a nationwide halt of elective services in hospitals on August 12 to show solidarity with the doctors at RG Kar Medical College.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Kumay Goyal visited the hospital and urged protesting doctors to ignore ‘rumors.’ He emphasized that various stories were circulating and reassured the students that these were unfounded. The incident has once again brought to light the alarming issue of violence against women and the urgent need for stricter security measures to ensure the safety of medical professionals in hospitals.
