Junior doctors protest against the bail granted to former OC Tala police constable Abhijit Mondal and former principal of RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh in the RG Kar rape and murder case in Kolkata on December 13, 2024. | Photo credit: ANI
The failure of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a chargesheet against RG Kar's former director Sandip Ghosh and police officer Abhijit Mandal – in connection with the brutal rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata – has one Casting a shadow over the investigation and raising questions about the agency's effectiveness and commitment.
On December 13, the court granted bail to Ghosh and Mandal, former head of Tala police station. The CBI had arrested them on September 14 for tampering with evidence but failed to file a charge sheet within 90 days. While Mandal was released, Ghosh remained behind bars in a separate CBI case involving financial irregularities. The CBI lawyer told the court that it would not immediately file a chargesheet but would continue investigation, prompting the accused's lawyers to seek “default bail”.
The RG Kar rape and murder on August 9 shocked the world and sparked widespread protests by doctors and civil society across West Bengal and India. Public outrage was directed at both the crime and the alleged cover-up by the hospital administration and state police. The Calcutta High Court on August 13 directed the CBI to initiate an investigation. The agency found that Ghosh and Mandal had tried to suppress the case, raising questions about who directed them to do so. Both are charged with destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy against Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (formerly Code of Criminal Procedure).
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The failure of the CBI, which led to the release of Ghosh and Mandal on bail, is a major blow to the investigative and judicial movement. The West Bengal Junior Doctor's Front (WBJDF), which led the protests, expressed dismay at the CBI's inaction. The victim's parents were “deeply disheartened.” “All our efforts to get justice for our daughter seem to be in vain. “We have no place to turn,” her father said.
Koel Mitra, associate professor in the department of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Medical College Calcutta, who has been actively involved in the doctors' protests, said Frontline: “We are devastated and need to rethink our next steps. This was unexpected; We had faith in the CBI and the justice system. Nothing can come of this now because it is not just an institutional murder, but a state-sponsored crime that is supported at the highest levels.”
On October 7, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Sanjoy Roy, a civil police volunteer and prime accused in the rape and murder case. When Roy was brought into city court on October 8, he pleaded: “I have something to say. If I'm not allowed to speak, all the blame is mine. I am innocent and know nothing about this case.”
No improvement on any front
The doctors' disillusionment runs deep. On October 21, after a long-overdue meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the WBJDF ended its 17-day hunger strike involving many doctors after receiving assurances that the state government would respond to their demands.
The doctors demanded justice for the victim of RG Kar and demanded the removal of state health minister NS Nigam, holding the health ministry accountable for administrative failures and corruption. They sought a central referral system for all medical facilities as well as a digital system to monitor available beds in each hospital.
Young doctors gather at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata to pay tribute at a memorial service four months after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on December 9, 2024. | Photo credit: PTI
Among their demands was the establishment of task forces with elected representatives of young doctors to oversee the installation of CCTVs, ready rooms and appropriate facilities. They pushed for stronger hospital security using permanent police officers rather than volunteers and for immediate action to fill health care vacancies.
The doctors also called for the establishment of investigative committees in medical colleges to investigate threats, with a state-level investigative committee overseeing these efforts. They called for a timely election of the student council, the recognition of established medical associations and representation in decision-making bodies. A thorough investigation into corruption within the West Bengal Medical Council and the Health Recruitment Board rounded out their calls for systemic reform.
Two months later, doctors say the government has taken few steps to fulfill its promises. In conversation with FrontlineDr. Arnab Mukherjee, a WBJDF member who took part in the 'Fasting Till Death' campaign, said: “While we understand that our main demand – justice for Abhaya (the victim's first name) – is beyond the jurisdiction of the state government, they can not shirk responsibility. The police and health authorities report to the prime minister, and senior officials in these authorities have actively tampered with evidence. The state government could prevent such crimes – that's what our other nine demands were about. These demands required significant systemic changes.”
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Doctors believe that improving patient care would naturally reduce attacks on medical staff. “We don’t see any sign of the central referral system; The harassment of patients continues. The digital system for monitoring bed availability is still not functional in most hospitals. We wrote to the state government three times asking us to form working groups together with our representatives, but no meetings took place. As for the 'threat culture' in medical colleges, the state government clearly supports those who perpetuate it – the entire state witnessed this during our televised meeting with the Chief Minister,” said Dr. Mukherjee, a first-year postdoctoral fellow in nephrology at SSKM Hospital.
“Safety in the hospital shows no improvement. They suggested panic buttons and more female staff, but nothing came of it. We fought the system, trusted its assurances and ended our hunger strike. Now we are forced to become cynics who expect nothing from the state,” added Dr. Mukherjee added.
The doctors now see it as their “moral responsibility” to increase their unrest.
