The tragic death of a 31-year-old resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9, 2024, has shocked Kolkata and sparked widespread outrage across the country. Initially reported as a suicide, the discovery of brutal injuries during the post-mortem has led to serious allegations of government negligence.
Her body was found in the hospital’s seminar hall. While her parents were initially informed that their daughter had taken her own life, they were not permitted to see her for over three hours. However, the post-mortem revealed disturbing details, including severe injuries to her genital area, scratches on her face, and a fractured thyroid cartilage. The nature of these gruesome injuries strongly suggested a violent assault and rape rather than suicide- which was what the victim’s parents were told about. There have been reports that the government of West Bengal is covering up something bigger.
An FIR was lodged late in the night at 11:45 p.m., and the following day, the police arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata police. During interrogation, he confessed to raping and murdering the doctor. However, recent news revealed that Sanjay was a pawn played by the authorities. Investigators discovered a history of domestic violence and explicit content on his phone, raising serious concerns about how an individual with such a background was employed as a civic volunteer. After assaulting the doctor, Sanjay went to the police barracks and slept peacefully.
Public outrage intensified when Sandip Ghosh, the hospital's principal, gave bizarre comments on the case, he questioned why the girl was alone at night and even refused to resign. However, he was a few days later, forced to resign but was later reinstated at Calcutta National Medical College. People have questioned why he was given the position of a principal of another college after such a heinous crime was committed, there have been reports of him being especially close to Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and hence was given this special protection. Further controversy erupted on August 15, when a large group of men stormed RG Kar Hospital, destroying evidence related to the case and obstructing peaceful protests across the city.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has since taken over the case amid widespread calls for justice. The Supreme Court has criticized the West Bengal government, Kolkata police, and the hospital administration for their mishandling of the case and the failure to prevent vandalism at the crime scene. Today as we speak,protests continue to escalate as demands for accountability grow louder across the state. Mamata Banerjee herself was seen protesting, what is ironic is the fact that she was protesting against own government and the police for mishandling the case.
RG Kar Hospital has a tainted past with suicides. Apparently, there have been several instances where a doctor has been found dead under questionable circumstances and barely any evidence. Complicating the case further are various rumors and theories suggesting that the rape is connected to a larger criminal network involving drug trafficking and pornography rackets in the city. While these allegations remain unsubstantiated, they have amplified public suspicion of a deep-rooted connection between criminals and politicians in West Bengal. The state’s political landscape has been fraught with allegations of corruption and criminality for years, and this case has brought those concerns to the forefront once again. Mamata Banerjee has been accused for not taking a strong enough stance against the perpetrators and of allowing political connections to influence the course of justice. Her initial response focused more on blaming the media for sensationalizing the issue rather than addressing the root causes, has only added to the fury. The parents of the doctor have also added that they have been forced to take the case down.
The protests in Kolkata have only intensified since then, from universities going on strikes, to candle marches across the country. Many protesters are also demanding the resignation of Banerjee, accusing her of failing to protect women in the state and of fostering a culture of impunity among her party members. The movement has gained momentum on social media, with hashtags like #JusticeForKolkataVictim and #ResignMamataBanerjee trending nationwide. The protests have also seen participation from opposition leaders, who are using the incident to attack the TMC government ahead of upcoming elections.
On 27th August, Banerjee deployed over 6,000 cops in the city as they were anticipating a major protest. The student organisations have called for “ Nabanna Abhijan”, meaning March to Nabanna, the office of Mamata Banerjee. The police used tear gas, lathis to stop protests, this makes us as citizens of the country question why wasn’t the same action used against the mob of people who broke into the hospital and destroyed evidence? However, there has also been news about the entire protest being staged by BJP and has now become a political fight between the two parties.
What's sad is the fact that both the parties might use this against each other in years to come but we are still awaiting justice.
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