Kolkata rape-murder: Junior doctors continue protest, seek fresh meeting with state govt

Junior doctors of West Bengal today said they would continue their strike until all their demands are met over the rape and murder of an internee medic.

The doctors made the announcement in the wee hours of today at the end of their governing body meeting started around 6.30 pm and ended at about 1:00am, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"Till all our demands are met, the agitation and cease work will continue. We want fresh talks with the state government," a doctor said at a press conference, hours after the government removed Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal and two senior health department officials, acceding to the strikers' demands.

The state government yesterday appointed Manoj Kumar Verma in place of Goyal as the new city police commissioner a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with the agitating junior doctors to resolve the more than a month-long impasse over the RG Kar hospital incident.

Director of Health Services (DHS) Debashis Halder, Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayak and Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police's North Division Abhishek Gupta were also removed as agreed between the doctors and chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

Goyal had been under fire over handling of the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the RG Kar hospital and vandalism at the facility during a protest by doctors on August 14.

The Supreme Court yesterday termed "really disturbing" the findings given in a status report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at R G Kar government hospital in Kolkata.

The top court refused to divulge the details, saying any disclosure may jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

"What the CBI has revealed in the report is really disturbing. What you are flagging is of utmost concern. We ourselves are concerned, CBI has flagged it for us. We are ourselves disturbed by what we have read," said a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The bench also asked the protesting junior doctors in West Bengal to resume work and recorded the assurance from the state government that it will not take any adverse or punitive action against them.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, assured the court that the investigating agency will maintain contact with the parents of the deceased junior doctor and keep them informed about the ongoing probe to assuage their genuine concerns.

As the hearing commenced, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, sought stopping of the live proceedings in the case but the apex court bench rejected his plea saying "we will not stop the live streaming of the proceedings as it is in public interest."

During the hearing, the apex court took objection to the West Bengal government's decision against putting women doctors on night duty.

"The West Bengal government should correct the notification. Your duty is to provide security, you cannot say that women (doctors) cannot work at night. Pilots, the army etc all work at night. This will prejudice their (doctors) careers. The hours of duty should be reasonable for all doctors," the bench said.

After the top court's objection, the West Bengal government told the bench that it would withdraw the notification.

The top court also questioned the West Bengal government's decision to hire contractual employees for the protection of doctors and other staff in hospitals.

"We are in a situation where there is a lack of security for doctors. The state government should have at least deployed police in government hospitals. We are dealing with young interns and students who are coming to Kolkata for work," the bench said.

Senior lawyer Indira Jaising said junior doctors know the people who were at the scene of the crime and the information shall be shared with the CBI in a sealed cover.

A civic volunteer of Kolkata police was arrested in connection with the August 9 rape and murder case.