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KOLKATA — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to transfer the alleged rape and murder case of a woman physician inside a Kolkata hospital to the CBI if the police failed to solve it by Sunday, amid public outrage.
Supporting the cease work by junior doctors at that hospital, interns and postgraduate trainees at other state-run medical establishments across the state vowed to continue their agitation, now in its fourth day, until the culprits are brought to justice.
Also read: Doctor’s rape-murder: Cease work continues for 3rd day, hospital services affected in Bengal
Banerjee’s promise, however, did not placate the protesting students, who criticized the chief minister for setting a seven-day deadline to address the alleged rape and murder of a fellow doctor.
They demanded a judicial inquiry, capital punishment for the culprits, adequate compensation for the victim's family and stronger security measures at hospitals.
A two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) this afternoon arrived in Kolkata and is scheduled to meet city Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and the family members of the victim.
The body of the woman post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found on Friday morning. Junior doctors began a cease work from the evening that day.
A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case and was sent to 14-day police custody.
At least three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were also filed before the Calcutta High Court, demanding that the investigation be transferred to the CBI.
A division bench, presided over by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, will hear these PILs on Tuesday.
Visiting the residence of the deceased doctor, the chief minister vowed to seek the death penalty for those responsible and stated her determination to see that justice is served.
Banerjee said the family members of the deceased doctor suspect that an insider was involved.
"I want the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. If they are unable to crack the case by Sunday, we will hand it over to the CBI. I don’t have an issue with the central agency taking over, but its success rate is low," Banerjee said.
The chief minister pointed out several high-profile cases that the CBI has failed to solve, expressing scepticism about the agency's effectiveness.
She also emphasized the need for the case to be tried in a fast-track court, underscoring the severity of the crime.
“I have told the police that if there is any such doubt against anyone - the victim’s friends and others - should be questioned,” she said.
The police commissioner, who accompanied Banerjee to the victim’s residence, assured the public that the investigation was proceeding with all due urgency.
"All those who were near the place of occurrence and have a connection or involvement are being called and will be summoned if they haven’t been yet. We are certain that if there are other culprits, they will be arrested within the next four to five days," he said.
A two-member team of NCW met senior police officials at the Kolkata Police Headquarters and discussed the situation.
The incident has sparked widespread protests, with junior doctors and healthcare workers expressing deep concern over their safety and the handling of the case by the authorities.
Facing backlash for the perceived failure to ensure the safety of the hospital’s staff, the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, resigned from his post and government service on Monday.
"I cannot take this insult anymore. All the allegations raised against me are false and fabricated. A student movement has been incited to remove me. There is a political mind behind this," Ghosh said in his resignation letter.
His departure follows the earlier removal of the medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth, who has been replaced by Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, the dean of student affairs.
Across West Bengal, hospital services have been disrupted as junior doctors continued their cease work, refusing to resume duties until their demands for a thorough investigation and greater security measures are met.
The protestors also demanded an apology from Kolkata Police for allegedly spreading rumours about the investigation and called for the removal of all senior hospital officials, insisting they should not be reassigned elsewhere.
Initially, the police had suspected the death was a suicide but later revised their stance.
The junior doctors, later in the evening, hit the streets raising slogans: “No Safety, No Duty”.
The protesting doctors have also called for the post-mortem report of the victim and the CCTV footage near the seminar hall to be made public.
While senior doctors have been called back from leave to handle the influx of patients, the situation remains tense, with outpatient departments struggling to address the situation.
Support for the striking doctors has poured in from across the country.
The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association of India (FORDA) has endorsed the strike and called for a nationwide halt to elective services.
A group of intellectuals marched from College Square to Shyambazar in a rally, demanding the strictest penalties for those involved and expressed their concern for women's safety.