Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is gradually returning to normal operations following days of protests over the sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor, according to Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal Saptarshi Chatterjee.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chatterjee said, “RG Kar is gradually coming back to normal life. Every day we talk to students and the faculty members are giving their best so that patients do not have to suffer. I think RG Kar is gradually coming back to normal life as the patient’s footfall which was around 100 has now crossed 1000. Good days are knocking at the door. All the departments including OPD and Emergency are functional”.
The hospital had been the center of intense protests following the brutal rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor on its premises on August 9. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to demonstrations demanding justice for the victim.
Chatterjee also revealed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team investigating the case has seized relevant documents and hard drives from the hospital. “The CBI team came to my office to examine all documents and computers. They seized and took away all the items, providing us with a seizure list,” he said.
Kolkata witnessed intense confrontations on Tuesday as police used tear gas, water cannons, and lathicharge to disperse protestors during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally. The protestors, who had gathered on Howrah Bridge, were marching towards the West Bengal State Secretariat, Nabanna, amid widespread outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The rally saw protestors clashing with security forces, as they climbed atop police barricades and broke through barriers erected in the Santragachi area en route to the Secretariat. The protest, which began early in the morning, saw a large number of students and citizens joining the march from College Square, carrying the national flag and chanting slogans.
In anticipation of the protest, the police had established a heavy security presence around Nabanna. Authorities deployed vajra vehicles, water cannons, and riot control forces, while containers were placed on roads to block the protestors’ advance. Additionally, civic workers were seen greasing the rear gates of Fort William at Hastings in a bid to prevent protestors from scaling the barricades.
(Inputs from ANI)