Kolkata Police Clarifies Crime Scene Intact Amid RG Kar Medical College Protests

Kolkata Police confirmed that the crime scene of a junior doctor’s rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College was not disturbed during mob vandalism on August 14. In a post on ‘X’, the Kolkata Police stated, ‘The crime scene is the seminar room and it has not been touched. Don’t spread unverified news. We will initiate legal action for spreading rumours.’

A final-year MBBS student from Kolkata, Anupam Roy, accused the mob of deliberately vandalising the area and sought public support for a secure environment for doctors. ‘Yesterday we were having a peaceful protest, we had planned to arrange a rally of female nurses, doctors and students. When we were getting ready to start the rally, a huge mob came. We requested them to continue their rally and not try to interfere as there are female protestors. Then the mob tried to get into our protest,’ Roy alleged.

On Wednesday night, a mob entered the RG Kar hospital campus, vandalised the protest site, and attacked vehicles and public property, forcing security officials to disperse the mob. Roy further alleged, ‘When the mob entered we ran to look for safe places to hide. The mob vandalised everything. They did not stop there. The mob just came to break the protest in a targeted and organised way.’

Late on August 14, Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal said the police could not arrest anyone just based on rumours. ‘I can’t just arrest an intern based on some kind of rumour, it’s against my conscience… As far as I am concerned, my team is concerned we have done what is right. Now the case is already gone… CBI will be investigating it… We have been transparent with everyone… We wanted the students to form a seven-member committee on Sunday to share everything with them but they haven’t come up with the committee till today. It’s the most unfortunate thing–the motivated media campaign that was being run has portrayed the Kolkata Police in a very bad light. We are always with the people of Kolkata, but unfortunately, this kind of incident wouldn’t have happened if this kind of malicious campaign wasn’t run by the media…We have not tried to save anyone,’ Goyal said.

Earlier, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee said, ‘The hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight have exceeded all acceptable limits.’ In a post on X, the TMC General Secretary urged the Kolkata Commissioner of Police to identify and arrest every individual responsible for the violence in the next 24 hours. ‘As a public representative, I just spoke with the Kolkata CP, urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliation,’ he said. He further stated that the demands of doctors were fair and justified and this is the minimum they should expect from the government. ‘The demands of the protesting doctors are fair and justified. This is the minimum they should expect from the government. Their safety and security must be prioritised,’ Banerjee added.

On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim’s family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities.