The recent violent protests at R.G. Kar Medical College have shaken the city. On the night of August 14, during a protest against a rape and murder case involving doctors, violence erupted.
Incident Start and Sequence
Around 10:30 PM, protesters from various political organizations were heading towards the medical college. BJP and Democratic Youth Front of India (DYFI) activists were among them. The police had set up barricades outside the college. At the same time, female staff from the college had gathered for a rally. The presence of police and the escalating violent behavior of the crowd complicated the situation.
Around 12:30 AM, the unruly crowd breached the barricades and entered the hospital. They vandalized the emergency building, overturned medicine racks, and damaged vehicles parked outside the college. In the violence, the police have released photographs of 76 suspects and arrested 30 individuals.
Suspects Arrested and Connections
Daily Bhaskar’s investigation reveals that the arrested individuals are from Burttala, Belgharia, Ultadanga, Maniktala, and Dum Dum areas. Most of them have been identified as residents of local slums.
Suspect Identification and Connections:
- Jabbar Ansari – A 40-year-old resident of Belgharia, Jabbar was arrested on August 17. His daughter claimed he got caught in the crowd while returning from work that night.
- Ruma Das – A 27-year-old resident of Badanghar, Ruma’s mother reported that her daughter had mentioned staying somewhere else and did not return home that night.
- Shantanu Sarkar – The 25-year-old Shantanu’s family stated he participated in the protest and was arrested by the police at home.
- Naveen Singh Lal – A 21-year-old resident of Belgharia, Naveen’s family is from Ballia, UP. The police arrested him as well, and his father claimed that Naveen had surrendered.
- Rohit Barui – A 24-year-old resident of Dum Dum Road, Rohit’s family reported that he was arrested directly from the street.
- Tushi Haldar – The 19-year-old Tushi was involved in the violence, and her mother stated she was not at home during the incident.
- Soumik Das – A 24-year-old, Soumik’s family claimed that he was present during the violence but only recorded videos.
- Shubdeep Kundu – Resident of Muraripukur, Shubdeep informed his aunt that he was present during the protest and later fell during the violence.
- Saurav Dey – The 23-year-old Saurav was arrested by the police for climbing barricades and recording videos during the violence.
- Soumyadeep Mahish – Soumyadeep also participated in the protest, but his family claimed he was merely recording videos.
DYFI and Other Political Connections
According to local journalists, DYFI members were also part of the crowd, and DYFI flags were visible during the protest. The police have summoned West Bengal DYFI Secretary Meenakshi Mukherjee and six CPI(M) leaders for questioning.
The violent protest has left Kolkata’s residents worried, and now everyone is waiting for the results of the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, actions against the arrested suspects are continuing, and the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the case.