Two Assistant Commissioners and an Inspector have been suspended by the Kolkata Police over dereliction of duty in connection with the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14 night as they were on duty at the medical facility when a group of around 40-50 miscreants ransacked and vandalised the Emergency Department of state-run medical facility.
A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against ACPs Shakir Uddin Sardar, Ramesh Shah Chowdhury, and inspector Rakesh Minz.
The suspension decision came hours after the Supreme Court lambasted the Kolkata police on their inability and role in combating the vandalism.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding safety of doctor across India. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said West Bengal should not be in denial mode and there was a complete failure of law and order in state. He said a mob of 7,000 people cannot enter the hospital without knowledge of the Kolkata Police.
The Supreme Court has also constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol for ensuring safety and facilities for the doctors across the country. The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.
The protesting students and medical fraternity had complained that the cops posted at the hospital premises remained mute spectators while the vandalism by the outsiders was going on.
Meanwhile, the police claimed to have identified 1,000 men and women who were allegedly involved in the vandalism. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal on August 16 admitted flaws on the part of his forces on that night. He admitted that the police could not apprehend that the peaceful agitation would suddenly become violent in front of R.G. Kar.
“That was our mistake. After the Deputy Commissioner (north) got injured being hit on his head, our forces personnel got disoriented and took time to recover. The police personnel also got injured. If you want to call it our failure, you can do that,” the Commissioner had said.
The case pertains to rape and murder of a second year PG student in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Amid the ongoing protests, some miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of the victim was found.
On August 13, Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14. The high court ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions, including one moved by the victim’s parents praying for a court-monitored probe.
(With inputs from agencies)
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