Lagatar24 Desk
Kolkata: In a major development following prolonged protests by doctors in Kolkata, the West Bengal government has transferred Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, along with two senior health officials, in response to demands made during a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The move is seen as a significant step toward resolving the ongoing agitation by junior doctors over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The government transferred Mr. Goyal, replacing him with Manoj Kumar Verma, a 1998-batch officer, who previously served as Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order). Mr. Goyal will now assume charge as Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police (Special Task Force). Deputy Commissioner (North Division) Abhishek Gupta, under whose jurisdiction RG Kar Hospital falls, has also been replaced by Dipak Sarkar.
In addition to police personnel changes, the health department announced the removal of Dr. Kaustav Nayak as Director of Medical Education and Dr. Debasish Halder as Director of Health Services. Dr. Swapan Soren has been appointed as the new in-charge Director of Health Services, while Dr. Suparna Dutta will oversee medical education.
Government Concessions and Doctors’ Reactions
During Monday’s meeting with the protesting doctors, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the government had accepted 99% of their demands, emphasizing that the doctors were regarded as “younger brothers.” The meeting, which was initially delayed due to a demand for live streaming, was the fifth and final invitation from the state government.
The doctors had intensified their call for the removal of key officials after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College, and Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station, for allegedly tampering with evidence in the case. The arrests supported the doctors’ claims of a mishandled investigation and a potential cover-up.
Next Steps for the Protests
As the doctors’ agitation enters its 39th day, they described the government’s acceptance of their demands as a “big victory” but stressed that they would continue their protests until the state government fully implements the announced changes. They reiterated that a final decision on withdrawing the agitation would be made only after concrete steps are taken by the government.
