Thousands of people today joined a torchlight procession to the CBI office in Kolkata to demand “a proper charge-sheet” and the “swift arrest” of all culprits in the R.G. Kar rape and murder. The procession was organised by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), which is spearheading the protests against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Members of a platform called Abhaya Mancha, which was formed on Tuesday as an umbrella organisation of 80 bodies, including those of senior doctors, joined the march.
The march was intended to remind the CBI that the crime took place “almost three months ago but the agency has still not identified all those involved”.
The rallists chanted slogans like “How much more time does CBI need?”
The rally started at about 5:30 pm from the office of the West Bengal Medical Council, near the Salt Lake Stadium, and ended at the CGO Complex, which houses the CBI office.
Many of those taking part in the vigil carried flaming torches. “Our main focus is to secure justice for the RG Kar victim…. We will ensure threat culture in any field is met with strong resistance,” said Tamonas Chaudhuri, a founding member of Abhaya Mancha. Ashfaqullah Naiya, a junior doctor, said the WBJDF will continue its movement till the time “all the perpetrators of the crime are punished and a safe working environment is established for all healthcare professionals”.
“Since the very beginning, we have been maintaining that the gruesome crime could not have been committed by only one person. The CBI needs to swiftly arrest all those involved in the crime and file a proper chargesheet,” he said.
“We do not want justice for only one Abhaya, but also for the hundreds of oppressed women across the State whose misfortunes may not have hit the headlines. The fact that hundreds and thousands of general people, including retired and elderly people, have joined our protest means that society at large is fed up with the system which creates victims like Abhaya,” he added.
The Abhaya Mancha has also called for lighting of lamps — “Paray Paray Droher Alo Jalo (lights for protest in every neighbourhood)” — across Bengal on November 4.
On November 9, they will hold a mass convention on Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Esplanade to mark the completion of three months of the RG Kar tragedy.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha said: “From the very evening, we support the general people who want justice for the murdered girl. But rather than march to the CBI offices, it would have been better if they had approached the Supreme Court with the plea to speed up the case.”
The Trinamool Congress’ Kunal Ghosh said: “The protestors should escalate their protests and take it directly to the CBI headquarters in New Delhi. After all, the CBI has not been able to make any headway in the past 80 days. The State police did a far better job and arrested the accused within 48 hours.”
