Bengal: Govt medical institutions to observe silence for RG Kar victim tomorrow

Kolkata, Aug 8 (AHN) Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that two minutes of silence will be observed in all government health centres and institutions in the state on Sunday in memory of the RG Kar rape and murder victim.

Before observing the silence, a lamp will be lit to pay tribute to the victim. This is the first time that the RG Kar victim will be remembered through a government initiative. No such programme was organised during the Trinamool Congress era.

Adhikari on Saturday held a meeting with state Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee. After the meeting, he announced that silence will be observed at 11 a.m. on Sunday in all government hospitals.

On August 9, 2024, the rape and murder of a female doctor in the emergency department of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata shook the entire country. Movements, protests, night vigils, hunger strikes and frequent processions were organised as people from different sections of society took to the streets demanding justice.

Over the past two years, various developments have taken place around this incident, and the government has also changed. Those who were in opposition then are in power today. Now the victim’s mother is a BJP MLA. A special programme has been organised in Panihati, North 24 Parganas district, in memory of the victim, as her mother is an MLA from the Panihati Assembly constituency. The programme will be held at Lok Sanskriti Bhavan in that constituency on Sunday and will be attended by the victim’s family members.

It will be held under the banner of the trust formed in the victim’s name. Chief Minister Adhikari will also be present.

So far, only one person has been arrested in the murder of the RG Kar doctor. After the incident, state police arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer of Kolkata Police. Later, the CBI took over the investigation on the orders of the Calcutta High Court.

However, no new arrests were made. The evidence against Sanjay was consolidated, the charge sheet submitted, and the trial concluded quickly in Sealdah court. The judge convicted Sanjay and sentenced him to life imprisonment. After the change of power, the investigation started again.

Recently, the CBI submitted a status report of the investigation in Sealdah court. At that time, they informed the court that a new investigating officer (IO) would probe the case.

Earlier, Seema Pahuja was the IO. Sandipani Garg has now been given the responsibility. CBI Joint Director Anurag Kumar heads the new investigation team. The team has already visited the crime scene and also the Panihati crematorium.