RG Kar issue: After night-time protests, junior doctors continue their sit-in near Kolkata police headquarters

Kolkata, September 3 (IANS): The indefinite sit-in by young doctors and medical students from various colleges demanding the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal in connection with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case continued on Tuesday.

The protest began near the Kolkata Police Headquarters on Monday afternoon and continued. The protesting doctors showed no signs of fatigue after their night-long protests in the open air and on the streets.

On Tuesday morning, the protesting medical fraternity representatives insisted that while they were happy with the arrest of former and controversial RG principal Kar Sandip Ghosh by the CBI late on Monday night, they would stick to their demand for the resignation of the city police commissioner in view of the “negligent” role of the city police in conducting the initial investigation in the case before the probe was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.

“As junior doctors, we are used to working for 24 to 36 hours at a time without sleeping. The city police are trying to test our patience. But we will be on the streets for hours without food or water until our demands are met,” said a protesting doctor at the sit-in demonstration.

To boost the morale of the protesters, several celebrities from the Bengali film world, who had been vocal about the rape and murder issue from the beginning, joined them on Monday evening and spent the night on the streets with them.

Throughout the sit-in, the protesting medical representatives shouted slogans demanding justice for the victim and the resignation of the city’s police chief. Some of them sang revolutionary songs to boost the morale of the protesters.

Meanwhile, Sandip Ghosh and three others arrested by the CBI last night in connection with the RG Kar financial scam will be produced before a special court in Kolkata on Tuesday morning. Their medical tests for this purpose were completed yesterday evening, soon after their arrest.