Kolkata rape-murder case: RG Kar senior doctors allege tampering of evidence

RG Kar Medical College's senior doctors on Monday (September 16) alleged tampering of evidence in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case.

At a press conference in New Delhi, they reiterated their demand for a live streaming of the meeting between them and the West Bengal government.

"We condemn all such heinous crimes. This crime is a fallout of the nexus between West Bengal government and health department officials," said one of the doctors.

The doctors alleged there was "tampering of evidence".

The West Bengal government on Monday "for the fifth and the final time" invited the protesting junior doctors for talks to end the RG Kar impasse, two days after the dialogue failed to take off over disagreement on live-streaming of the meeting.

In an email to the protesting junior doctors, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant asked them to reach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kalighat at 5 pm on Monday for the talks.

Minister labels protest as 'drama'

Meanwhile, senior West Bengal Minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Monday criticised the ongoing 'cease work' by junior doctors, labeling it as "drama" and a "politicised event" intended to malign the TMC government in the state.

The agitating doctors continued their sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata, the headquarters of the health department, for the eighth day and their 'cease work' for the 36th day demanding justice for the medic who was raped-murdered at the RG Kar hospital.

The doctors have vowed to persist with their protest until their demands – removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner and senior state health officials – are met.

"The junior doctors should now stop this drama. It has been going on for quite some time and has clearly crossed its limits. It is apparent that vested political interests are now dictating the agitation," he told reporters.

"Some of the junior doctors are demanding live-streaming because they don't trust the government. Yet, at the same time, they are drawing a salary from the government without performing their duties. They trust the government when they need a promotion but not when it comes to negotiations? This is absurd," he said.

SC to hear case on Tuesday

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is likely to hear on Tuesday the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case.

The apex court initiated the case on its own amid the ongoing protests by doctors in West Bengal.

The hearing assumes significance as resident doctors continue their strike despite the apex court’s directive to them to resume work by 5 p.m. on September 10 to avoid punitive action by the state government which had claimed that their absence from work had led to the death of 23 patients till September 9, the day the case was last heard.