Mamata Banerjee Meets Doctors’ Demands, Top Health Officials and Police Chief to Be Removed
In a significant turn of events, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has agreed to meet three out of five demands put forth by the protesting junior doctors, bringing an end to the month-long stalemate. Following a late-night meeting with the doctors on Tuesday, Banerjee announced the removal of two top health department officials and the Chief of Kolkata Police, signaling her administration’s commitment to addressing the doctors’ grievances. The protest, which began after the shocking rape and murder of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College, had sparked widespread public support and drawn national attention.
As part of her decision, the Chief Minister confirmed that the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services would be transferred, as requested by the doctors. Additionally, the Chief of Kolkata Police, who faced criticism over the handling of the investigation into the rape-murder case, will also be replaced. Banerjee also agreed to remove the police chief in charge of the city’s north zone, where the RG Kar Medical College is located. Despite this breakthrough, the doctors’ protest is expected to continue until formal orders are issued on Wednesday morning.
“I believe the meeting was positive, and I am confident the doctors share the same view. We both signed the minutes of the meeting, which is a strong indication of our mutual understanding,” said Banerjee after the meeting. “We have accepted 99 percent of their demands because they are like our younger brothers,” she added, expressing empathy for the doctors’ concerns.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that while the doctors would need time to discuss the decision with their colleagues before officially ending the ceasework, she urged them to consider the needs of patients, especially in light of recent floods affecting parts of the state. Her appeal for a swift resolution underlines the urgency of restoring medical services that have been disrupted by the ongoing protests.
The junior doctors, who had been protesting for 38 days, hailed the government’s concessions as a “major victory.” However, they emphasized that their demands would only be fully met when formal orders are issued and action is taken. “We’ve received verbal assurances, but we will continue our agitation until we see concrete results,” said a representative of the Junior Doctors’ Forum. Another key demand of the doctors—the removal of the health secretary—remains unresolved, and they indicated they would continue to push for it.
Government Concessions:
Banerjee’s administration has promised a ₹100 crore investment to upgrade hospital infrastructure across the state, another demand of the protesting doctors. Regarding the removal of the health officials, the Chief Minister explained that while they had done nothing wrong, the students’ lack of trust in them warranted the transfers. “We are not dishonoring them. They haven’t been in these posts for long, and their records are clean. But we have accepted the students’ concerns,” she said.
Banerjee also addressed the role of Kolkata’s Police Chief, Vineet Goyal, who had been accused of tampering with evidence in the rape-murder case. Although Goyal had offered to resign on multiple occasions, Banerjee had previously retained him until after Durga Puja. However, amid mounting public pressure and repeated criticisms from the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court regarding police interference, she has now agreed to his removal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, recently arrested former hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and a senior officer from the local police for their involvement in the alleged tampering of evidence.
The Tragic Case That Shocked the Nation:
The protests were triggered by the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Her body, partially unclothed, was discovered in the hospital’s seminar room the next morning. The prime suspect, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was stationed at the hospital’s police outpost and had access to various departments. His arrest did little to quell public anger, as questions remained about the integrity of the investigation.
The doctor’s family accused the police of attempting to cover up the crime, including forcing an immediate cremation against their wishes and offering them money to drop the case. Allegations of evidence tampering, delayed filing of reports, and lapses in the postmortem further fueled the protests, leading to widespread demonstrations across the country.
After weeks of public outrage, the CBI took over the case, arresting several key figures, including former principal Sandip Ghosh. Ghosh was initially detained as part of a separate corruption probe but was later implicated in the evidence-tampering allegations related to the doctor’s murder. The public’s demand for justice continues to drive the protests, even as the doctors call for systemic changes to prevent such tragedies in the future.
