RG Kar Case: Police Deny Doctors' Request to Extend Protest
The protest continues, condemning the CBI's failure to file a charge sheet against Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal.
RG Kar Case: Police Deny Doctors' Request to Extend Protest
### **Kolkata Police Deny Doctors' Association Request to Extend Protest in R.G. Kar Rape and Murder Case**
The Kolkata Police have refused to grant permission for an extension of the ongoing protest organized by a doctors' association regarding the R.G. Kar rape and murder case. The protest condemns the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) failure to file a charge sheet against Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal, who are accused of tampering with evidence in the case involving the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The sit-in protest at Doreena Crossing, organized by the West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, is scheduled to conclude this evening. The doctors' association had requested an extension of their protest through a communique sent to the Kolkata Police on Wednesday night. However, the police declined the request on Thursday, citing specific reasons for their inability to approve the extension.
“We are considering legal options to ensure the continuation of the protest,” said a representative of the doctors' association. “Initially, the police even denied permission for the sit-in demonstration itself, but we secured approval through the Calcutta High Court,” the representative added.
Meanwhile, another doctors' group, the West Bengal Doctors Forum, has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting the renaming of "Doreena Crossing," a prominent protest site in the city, to "Abhaya Crossing" in honor of the victim. The junior doctor, referred to as "Abhaya" to comply with legal provisions barring the disclosure of rape victims' identities, was found dead on August 9, 2024, in a seminar hall on the hospital premises.
### **Legal Challenges and Investigation Setbacks**
Recently, a special court in Kolkata granted default bail to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College, and Abhijit Mondal, the former Station House Officer of Tala Police Station. The bail was granted after the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge sheet within 90 days of their arrests. Both Ghosh and Mondal are accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence during the initial inquiry conducted by the Kolkata Police.
Adding to the controversy, a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has raised doubts about the "scene of the crime" identified in the case. While the victim's body was initially found in the seminar hall of the hospital, the CFSL report submitted to the CBI states there were no signs of a struggle in the seminar room. This finding supports claims by sections of the medical community that the actual crime scene may have been elsewhere, with the body being moved to the seminar hall to mislead investigators.
The CFSL report's revelations have intensified calls for accountability and transparency in the investigation. As protests continue, public outrage over perceived lapses in justice grows, with demands for stricter measures against those accused of obstructing the investigation.
### **Public and Political Reactions**
The protests have garnered significant attention, with many criticizing the handling of the case by both the Kolkata Police and the CBI. The refusal to extend the protest has also sparked debate over the freedom to assemble and express dissent.
As the investigation faces mounting scrutiny and the protests continue to spotlight the issue, the demand for justice for "Abhaya" remains a central focus for both the medical community and the public at large.
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