The Calcutta High Court allowed a doctors’ organization to hold a peaceful demonstration from December 20-26, addressing the rape and murder of a medic. The court stressed crowd control and minimal disruptions during Christmas. Public support for the protest has increased, reflecting outrage over the incident and demands for speedy justice, underscoring health professionals’ safety concerns.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court’s division bench upheld a December 20 order allowing a doctors’ organization to hold a peaceful demonstration during the Christmas season, demanding speedy justice for the rape and murder of an RG Kar Medical College medic in August.
The division bench, comprising Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, permitted the Joint Forum of Doctors to continue its sit-in near Dorina Crossing at Esplanade, central Kolkata, from December 20-26. The court emphasized adherence to restrictions on crowd size and designated areas, ensuring minimal disruption during the holiday season.
Describing the RG Kar Medical College incident as “unprecedented, unimaginable, and horrible,” the court underscored the gravity of the case. The on-duty postgraduate trainee doctor’s body was discovered in the hospital’s seminar room on August 9. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against the accused, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, for allegedly committing the heinous crime during the victim’s break.
The state had appealed the single bench decision, arguing that demonstrations in such a busy area during Christmas would lead to traffic disruptions and inconvenience to revellers. However, the doctors’ counsel, Bikash Bhattacharya, assured the court that protests would remain confined to a barricaded area with a maximum of 100 participants. He also presented a video clip demonstrating that ongoing protests had not caused public inconvenience, countering the state’s claims.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh’s earlier order emphasized minimizing public hardship, mandating the protest stage size to 40 feet by 23 feet and limiting participation to 250 individuals. The division bench suggested deferring protests on December 25 to avoid conflict with Christmas festivities, but this remains under discussion.
The Joint Forum of Doctors has been relentless in demanding speedy justice for the deceased medic, criticizing the alleged delay in the CBI investigation. The tragedy has sparked widespread protests across the medical fraternity, highlighting concerns over safety and justice for healthcare professionals.
As the agitation continues, public support grows for the demonstrators, reflecting the collective outrage over this heinous crime and its repercussions.
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