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West Bengal govt. to engage retired police, Army officers to guard healthcare facilities
Government asks SPs to prepare list of available personnel. State acts against former R. G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh by instituting SIT probe into complaints of irregularities against Dr. Ghosh
Police guard at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital after miscreants vandalised an emergency ward of the hospital, in Kolkata, on August 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
With the Supreme Court directing the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to provide security to the doctors at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) issued an order to engage retired police and Army officers as security officials in State-run health facilities.
An order by the Additional Director General, Law and Order, Manoj Verma addressed to Superintendents of Police, sought details of retired police and Army officers who can be engaged on security duty at health facilities.
Kolkata rape and murder case: No Central law needed for doctors’ protection, says Union government
Security at medical colleges and hospitals in the State came under the scanner after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The hospital, including the building where the crime had occurred, was vandalised in the early hours of August 15.
Two assistant commissioners and one inspector of Kolkata Police have been suspended for alleged negligence in the incident of vandalism. They were on duty during the attack which took place at around midnight on August 14 and in early hours of August 15. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against them.
On Tuesday, the doctors of the hospital welcomed the Supreme Court intervention in the deployment of CAPF but said that they will continue to protest and not join work.
Former principal faces the heat
The Trinamool Congress leadership welcomed the CAPF deployment but voices in the party against the former college principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh grew louder. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar said action should have been taken against Dr. Ghosh since so many people had raised allegations of corruption and irregularities against him. The former Prasar Bharati CEO said Dr. Ghosh should have been suspended or sent on leave earlier.
The Kolkata Police, who have booked Dr. Ghosh for allegations of corruption and irregularities, sent him a notice to appear before the police at the Lalbazar headquarters allegedly for disclosing the identity of the victim.
The West Bengal government, which had earlier reinstated the doctor to a State-run hospital in Kolkata hours after he resigned, has set up a four-member Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar since 2021 when Dr. Ghosh was in charge. The Supreme Court, during its hearing today, had raised questions on the role of former principal of the medical college. Dr. Ghosh, who has been sent on leave by the Calcutta High Court, has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation probing the rape and murder for four days.
No action against MP, protests continue
Meanwhile, the counsels representing the State government assured the Calcutta High Court that no coercive action will be taken against Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy till the court decides on his petition.
Mr. Roy, a Rajya Sabha MP, was sent notices by Kolkata Police after a social media post where he had referred to the investigation by Kolkata Police and sought custodial interrogation of the police commissioner. Lawyers representing Mr. Roy said that the MP was willing to delete the post. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, hearing both the parties, said he will pass an order on Wednesday in this regard.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and President Droupadi Murmu during the day, started a mobile control room in the connection with the case. The Governor spoke to the father of the victim who said that his only demand was justice.
During the day, the CBI questioned a close associate of accused Sanjay Roy who was seen sprinting to the CBI office trying to avoid questions by media persons. Mr. Roy, a civic police volunteer was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10 and is now in CBI custody. Some family members of the accused have come out highlighting the violent past of the 35-year-old accused.
Citizens and doctors continued to protest on the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday. Even after 10 days of the incident, there has been no let-up. During the day, supporters of the Congress led a march to the Lalbazar police headquarters and were detained by police. The supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad held protests outside Swastha Bhawan, the headquarters of State Health Department.
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