In August last year, an incident of rape and murder at Kolkata’s prestigious RG Kar Medical College gave rise to a public outrage across West Bengal.
On August 9, 2024, the body of a 31-year-old female trainee doctor was found in the conference room of the hospital. Investigation revealed that the doctor was first raped and then murdered.
After this incident, protests started in Kolkata, and health services in the state remained paralyzed for more than two months.
Five months have passed since this incident and now on Saturday, Kolkata’s Sealdah Court is going to pronounce the verdict in this case.
In this case, the CBI has not been able to file a chargesheet against the medical college principal Sandeep Ghosh and the in-charge of the local Tala police station Abhijit Mandal on charges of ‘destroying evidence’, due to which they have got bail.
However, the parents of the deceased doctor have expressed dissatisfaction over the CBI investigation and have filed a petition in the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court monitoring the case.
In this petition, they have appealed that the special court of Sealdah be stopped from pronouncing the sentence in this case and the whole matter should be investigated once again afresh.
A look at some important dates of the Kolkata rape-murder case.
What happened when
August 9, 2024
The body of a female trainee doctor was recovered from the seminar hall in the morning. The doctor was raped and murdered. The doctor fell asleep in the seminar hall after eating food.
According to the police, this incident of rape and murder took place between 3 am and 6 am.
After this, the doctors started protesting against the incident.
August 10, 2024
The police formed a task force. The accused Sanjay Roy was arrested within six hours of the start of the investigation. Apart from CCTV, the police had found a broken Bluetooth earphone in the seminar hall. It was connected to the accused’s phone. Through this, the police were successful in arresting Sanjay.
August 12, 2024
Resignation of the Principal of the Medical College, Sandeep Ghosh.
August 13, 2024
The Kolkata High Court said that the investigation in the case was not done properly and handed over the case to the CBI.
August 15, 2024
On the intervening night of August 14 and 15, women’s organizations and people associated with civil society in many places including Kolkata called for women to come out on the streets by raising the slogan ‘Reclaim the Night’.
On the night of August 14-15, unknown people attacked the doctors’ protest site at RG Kar Hospital.
August 16, 2024
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took to the streets and took out a march. This march was criticized by BJP and many people.
Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance
August 20, 2024
The Supreme Court heard the Kolkata rape-murder case after taking suo motu cognizance. The Supreme Court expressed concern over the lack of security arrangements for doctors and medical staff across the country and formed a national task force.
August 21, 2024
The CISF took over the security of RG Kar Medical College.
August 22, 2024
Doctors called off their 11-day strike.
August 27, 2024
Students called for a protest march to the state secretariat i.e. ‘Nabanna Bhavan’ against the rape and murder case of the doctor. During this protest march, there was a clash between the protesting students and police personnel.
A new student organization ‘Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj’ named this protest march as ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
August 28, 2024
The BJP called for a 12-hour Bengal bandh against the use of force in protests and the arrest of students. The ruling TMC alleged that the BJP wanted to ‘create anarchy’ in the state.
New law made in West Bengal
2 September, 2024
The CBI arrested Sandeep Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Those arrested included two contractors supplying goods to the hospital, Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra, as well as Sandeep Ghosh’s bodyguard Afsar Ali Khan.
Apart from this, the CBI arrested Abhijit Mandal, in charge of the local Tala police station, on charges of attempting to destroy evidence.
3 September, 2024
Within a month of the incident, the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Law Amendment) Bill, 2024.
This bill amends the Indian Justice Code, 2023, (BNS), Indian Civil Security Code, 2023 (BNSS), and the POCSO Act, 2012, made to protect children from sexual crimes, regarding crimes against women.
8 September, 2024
The Mamata government also had to face opposition from its leaders in this matter.
Trinamool Congress MP in Rajya Sabha Jawahar Sarkar wrote a letter to Mamata Banerjee and offered his resignation given the public movement after the rape-murder case in RG Kar Hospital.
14 September, 2024
After about a month of agitation and demonstration, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met the striking doctors. The Chief Minister asked to consider the demands of the students and sought time to take action on it.
17 September, 2024
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal was transferred from his post by the state government.
7 October, 2024
The CBI filed a chargesheet against the main accused Sanjay Rai on 7 October.
13 December, 2024
The then principal Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mandal, in-charge of Tala police station in Kolkata, who were made accused in the case, got bail.
Demands of doctors
When the students met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in September, the Chief Minister’s Office shared information about the demands made by the agitators to the government. According to that-
The first demand of the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) comes under the jurisdiction of the CBI. The state government will provide all possible help to complete the investigation and get justice to the victim.
Given the demand for action against the Kolkata Police, the Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner North will be transferred.
The existing DME and DHS of health services will also be transferred.
A fund of Rs 100 crore has been approved for CCTV, washrooms, etc. in the hospital.
The representatives of WBJDF expressed disagreement over no disciplinary action being taken against DC Central and the Health Secretary not being transferred.
Meanwhile, in December 2024, the victim’s father filed another petition in the High Court. He said that ‘CBI has not yet recorded the statement of his wife in this case. Nor has she testified in the court.’
The case registered by the CBI has the names of a total of 123 witnesses. But out of these, only 50 people, including officials, could testify till the last week of December 2024.
