Amid persistent rain, junior doctors in West Bengal vowed to continue their protest on Sunday, demanding justice for a colleague who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College.
The protest continued after an attempt to hold talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday fell through, The Indian Express reports.
Despite adverse conditions, the doctors have been staging a sit-in outside the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata, for six consecutive days.
Protesters claim they were asked to leave after waiting three hours at the gates of the CM’s residence, despite agreeing to her conditions for a closed-door meeting without live-streaming, The Economic Times reports.
“We are steadfast in our resolve to seek justice for our sister, no matter the adversity,” said one protesting doctor. The protesters have been on a 'cease work' strike since August 9, following the discovery of the postgraduate student’s body at RG Kar Medical College.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, added charges of evidence tampering against former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh. Ghosh, along with Tala Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abhijit Mondal, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly misleading the investigation and altering the crime scene.
Both appeared in court on Sunday. An officer stated: "We will request a three-day remand for them in the Sealdah court," according to a report by news agency PTI.
In addition to justice for the victim, the junior doctors are calling for the suspension of senior officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the state's health department leaders, for their alleged failure to act.
They are also demanding increased safety measures for women healthcare professionals in the state.
The protest continues as doctors operate temporary clinics at the demonstration site, treating 400 to 500 patients daily.
