Kolkata Rape Case: Chaos broke out on Wednesday night at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, after a protest march by women turned violent. The agitation was part of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ campaign protesting against the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the hospital.
Tear Gas and Violence
Tensions heightened as midnight protesters, largely comprising women, intensified in the hospital premises. Videos from the scene depicted a pandemonium with tear gas being fired to scatter the crowd of more than 1,000 strong protesters. It further deteriorated with a group of protesters barging into the hospital, vandalizing property, and attacking law enforcers. Barricades were broken, a police vehicle was damaged, and several two-wheelers were vandalized.
The violence spread widespread panic, and the mob surged through the premises. The protesters and doctors took shelter in an auditorium where journalists and hospital staff were taking refuge from the violence. The unrest spread to the emergency building of the hospital where the horrific crime that had triggered the protests had been committed. Last week, the trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered in the seminar hall of this building, an act which outraged the entire country and compelled the Calcutta High Court to transfer the case to the CBI.
Kolkata Police Use Lathicharge and Tear Gas to Control Unrest
The situation escalated, and Kolkata Police used lathicharge and firing of tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. The Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal, later attributed the unrest to what he termed a “malicious” campaign by a section of the media. Mr. Goyal added that coverage by the media provoked violence and that the police had taken adequate measures over the case and tried to pacify the family members.
Frustrated over constant rumors and media portrayals, the Commissioner said the Kolkata Police were responsible in the investigation right from the beginning. But all these statements seem pale in comparison to a violent hospital clash underscoring deepening frustration and anger over the tragic incident and larger concerns of safety and justice.
The situation remains tense in the city after days of violence and an ongoing search for justice for a young doctor whose tragic death has brought the powerful call for change and accountability to life.