The Calcutta High Court has ordered the West Bengal government to post Dr. Aniket Mahato, a key protest leader, at RG Kar Medical College, calling his earlier transfer “unreasonable” and a “serious wrong.” The ruling underscores fairness in government postings and protection for whistle-blowers.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to immediately engage Dr. Aniket Mahato, a prominent leader of the protest movement following the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, as a senior resident in the Anaesthesiology Department at the same institution.
Justice Biswajit Basu observed that the state’s decision to post Dr. Mahato at Raiganj Medical College and Hospital in Uttar Dinajpur district was “unreasonable” and a “serious wrong” that required judicial intervention.
The court consequently set aside the government’s May 27, 2025, notification and instructed that Dr. Mahato be posted at RG Kar without any delay.
During the proceedings, government counsel requested a stay on the order until October 7 to allow time for filing an appeal. However, Justice Basu rejected this request, allowing the immediate implementation of the court’s direction.
Dr. Mahato, represented by his lawyer, had challenged the government’s deployment decision, alleging that he, along with two other doctors who actively participated in the RG Kar protest movement, faced police harassment and were unfairly targeted during the posting process.
His counsel argued that the government violated its own Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for allotment of senior resident positions based on merit.
He pointed out that,
“Out of 871 doctors in the deployment list, only three, including Mahato, were placed far from their preferred institutions in what was described as ‘punishment postings.’”
Dr. Mahato had applied for one of four available positions at RG Kar in the Anaesthesiology Department but was allegedly overlooked in favour of a candidate who was less meritorious, his counsel stated.
The protests at RG Kar Medical College began after the shocking rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee on August 9, 2024. The young doctor’s body was found in the seminar room of the college, sparking widespread outrage across India.
Earlier this year, a sessions court in Sealdah sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment until the end of his natural life after finding him guilty of the crime.
By restoring Dr. Mahato’s posting at RG Kar Medical College, the Calcutta High Court emphasised the need for fairness in government decisions and sent a clear message that retaliation against whistle-blowers or protest leaders cannot be allowed.
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