Kolkata doctor rape-murder: IMA demands thorough investigation, punishment of culprits

New Delhi [India], August 12 : Expressing shock beyond words at the brutal murder of a 2nd year PG student of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, Indian Mediacal Association (IMA) has demanded an impartial thorough investigation of the case and punishment of the culprits from the West Bengal government.
IMA has written to Union Minister JP Nadda demanding detailed enquiry into the conditions enabling the crime as well as the steps to improve the safety of doctors especially women in workplace.
IMA had given an ultimatum of two days on the above demands."We submit to you our demand for safe zone, defined security measures and Central Law on violence as deterrent measures. We hope you would consider our demands favourably in the light of deteriorating ground situation," IMA letter reads.
Federation of Resident Doctors' Association President Aviral Mathur also demanded an investigation by the central agency and said that the status quo of the strike will continue tomorrow as well.
The post-graduate trainee doctor was found raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, which has led to widespread outrage and protests.
After meeting Union Minister JP Nadda, Federation of Resident Doctors' Association President Aviral Mathur said, "The ministry called us today to discuss some points. We were there for more than 2 hours. We discussed our demands with the core team of the Union Minister in multiple sessions. We demand that the investigation of the RG Kar Medical College should be done by a central agency, and the family of the victim should get due compensation. To make sure that such an incident is not repeated, a systematic timeline should be carved out in the Central Healthcare Protection Act... We don't want just promises... They seemed to agree with some demands and were hesitant towards some. It is the status quo. There is no result. Members of all hospitals are present here. We will have a general body meeting now. The status quo of the strike will continue. We will continue with our elective services halt for tomorrow as well."
Meanwhile, the police Dog Squad arrived at the RG Kar Medical College in a case related to the sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
On Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident, Chairman, RG Kar Hospital, Sudipta Roy said that a section that committed crimes like theft was reprimanded and removed from the hospital.
"A section that committed crimes like theft were reprimanded and removed from the hospital. A group was after Prof. Dr Sandip Ghosh...The incident did not happen in the hostel...We are very sad about whatever happened," Sudipta Roy said.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said that the West Bengal government is not a democratic government at all.
"Is there any law and order in Kolkata? Women are harassed there. The West Bengal government is not a democratic government at all. The atrocities against women, the way women are being harassed there, is an example in itself and it is unfortunate that the Chief Minister of that state is a woman," Singh said.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the West Bengal government should try and deliver justice as soon as possible.
"It is a heinous crime... The government should try and deliver justice as soon as possible. The attitude of the police is not right... BJP has been demanding a CBI probe. CM Mamata Banerjee also gave consent for it but she is not writing such a letter to the Home Ministry... The doctors who are agitating are also asking for a CBI probe. This should be done as early as possible because due to delay, there can be a risk of tampering with the evidence," Majumdar said.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the law and order situation in Bengal, especially the safety of students, is under question.
"A similar incident took place in Jadavpur a few days ago. No matter how strongly we condemn the heinous crime that has happened, it will be less. The Bengal government will have to take action against the culprits. The Bengal government will have to be held accountable for it," Pradhan said.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said if the CM is serious she should have ordered a CBI probe into the incident.
"Why is a CBI enquiry not conducted into the incident?... What is Mamata Banerjee doing?... If Mamata Banerjee is serious about it, she should order a CBI enquiry," Prasad asked.
BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said, "...We want there to be justice. The people of Bengal will raise their voices till there is justice. There is a huge conspiracy going on to hide someone. They are saying that there should be an execution or an encounter. But this is not about one person, nothing will happen by making one person the scapegoat. A lot of such incidents happened during the CPIM rule... The police declared it as a suicide without an inquiry. The post-mortem and everything happened in haste... There should be a proper investigation... This is above politics... We request the CM to hand this over to the CBI. The Kolkata Police and the CID cannot do anything... We want the truth to come out. Nothing will happen by punishing one person and making them the scapegoat..."
Earlier, the Kolkata Police summoned the Head of the Chest Department of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, for questioning in connection with the rape and murder of a PG trainee woman doctor in Kolkata, sources said.
Mamata Banerjee said that she had asked the police to arrest the accused as soon as possible adding that if the police are unable to solve it, then the case will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"The day I got to know about the incident from the Kolkata Police Commissioner, I told him that it is a sad incident and immediate action should be taken and a fast-track court should also be set up immediately...There were nurses and security, but I am still unable to understand how this incident took place. Police have informed me that there was someone inside (Hospital). The Principal of RG Kar Hospital has resigned today...Police, Dog Squad, Forensic department and other teams are on the job. Investigation has been started to arrest the accused and police are trying to arrest him as early as possible. If the Police are unable to solve this case by Sunday, then we will not keep this case in our hands, we will hand it over to CBI," she said.
Doctors, teachers and students in several hospitals across multiple Indian states went on an indefinite strike.
Junior doctors organised a candle march against the sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Resident doctors of the JJ Hospital also carried out a candle march.
Doctors of the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital took out a candle march to protest and medical students took out a candle march.
Madhya Pradesh: Doctors of the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital took out a candle march to protest against the sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on August 9.
The doctors are demanding a CBI inquiry of the case, a fast-track court and the formation of a committee for the implementation of the Central Protection Act in all hospitals.