Kolkata horror: Doctors call off month-long protest; to resume emergency services from Saturday

Junior doctors protesting the rape-murder of their colleague in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have called off the month-long strike and will be resuming the emergency services from Saturday (Sep 21).

"On the 41st day of the protest, West Bengal Junior Doctors Front wants to say that we achieved a lot during our agitation, but many things remain unachieved. We made the Kolkata commissioner of police resign and the DME, DHS resign. But this doesn't mean the agitation is over. We will take it forward in a new way," the protesting doctors said.

The decision was taken after a general body meeting was held on Thursday (Sep 19) where the doctors submitted a draft outlining key points from their discussions with the West Bengal government. The state's response is now awaited.

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While essential services will be resuming, the Outpatient Department (OPD) and Occupational Therapy (OT) services will remain suspended.

"We are returning to work on Saturday and will resume essential services. OPD and OT services will remain suspended because we want to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the security of female colleagues," the protesting doctors said.

Notably, the doctors will be organising a rally from Swasthya Bhawan (ground zero of the protests) to the CGO complex on Friday (Sep 20)to end the protest.

Watch |Kolkata Horror: CM Mamata Banerjee agrees to Indian doctors’ demands, removes Police Commissioner

The healthcare machinery of the state had been hit badly in the last few weeks, with the doctors demanding justice for the trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered last month. However, with the floods aggravating the situation, the Mamata Banerjee government pleaded the doctors to return to work.

Earlier this week, the Mamata administration also accepted theresignation of Commissioner of Police, Vineet Goyal, after protesting doctors demanded it.

The state government has come under heavy scrutiny for its role in the case.

The Supreme Court onTuesday (Sep 17)said the details submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its status report regarding the state's role in the case were "really disturbing" and that the court itself was troubled by it.

“I won’t give details of the day here because it will dislocate the investigation. We don’t want someone to take advantage of it as a technical issue later on. But what the CBI has revealed in its status report is really disturbing," Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud had said while presiding over a three-judge bench.

The CBI report highlighted the series of flaws in the investigation, including the fact that the victim's clothes were not even sent for the post-mortem. The bench came down heavily on the state and raised questions about evidence tampering and police complicity, leading to the arrest of the station house officer (SHO) of the area.

(With inputs from agencies)