Several police personnel were injured during yesterday's mob violence at RG Kar Medical College
The crime scene in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered last week, was not compromised in last night's mob violence, the city police have said. Responding to reports that the fourth floor room where the crime took place has been vandalised, Kolkata Police said in a post on X, "Crime of Scene is Seminar Room and it has not been touched. Don't spread unverified news. We will initiate legal action for spreading rumours."
Late last night, when neighbourhoods across Bengal were witnessing massive gatherings by women to protest against the horrifying incident, a mob entered the medical college campus and went on the rampage. They attacked vehicles, damaged public property and police had use teargas shells to disperse the mob. Several police officers were injured in the clash.
While it is not yet clear who is behind the mob violence, Leader of the Opposition, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, has alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent "goons" of the Trinamool College to disrupt the apolitical protest rally near the hospital.
"She thinks that she is the most shrewd person in the whole world and people won't be able to figure out the cunning plan that her goons appearing as protesters would mix with the crowd and carry out vandalism inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
"They were given safe passage by the Police, who either ran away or looked the other way so that these lumpens would enter the hospital premises and destroy areas containing crucial evidence so that it doesn't get picked up by the CBI," the BJP leader added.
Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Number 2 in the party, said the hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight "exceeded all acceptable limits". "As a public representative, I just spoke with @CPKolkata, urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today's violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliations. The demands of the protesting doctors are fair and justified. This is the minimum they should expect from the government. Their safety and security must be prioritised," Mr Banerjee said in a post on X.
The CBI is now investigating the rape and murder case that has shaken the nation. The central agency took over the investigation after the Calcutta High Court noted that Kolkata Police have made no significant progress in the case and transferred the case. The parents of the victim had filed a petition, seeking a probe monitored by the court to ensure evidence is not tampered with.