One year after RG Kar tragedy: Promises broken, justice denied and fear still lingers

A year after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, key promises on security, institutional reforms, and justice remain unfulfilled.

In this interview with The Federal, Dr Soumyadip Roy, spokesperson of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, outlines the lack of safety measures in government-run medical colleges, the status of the reforms that were promised, and the continuing fight for justice.

Has the security scenario improved in state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal a year after the RG Kar tragedy?

During the protests following the incident, the state government promised adequate CCTV coverage in all medical colleges and the deployment of security personnel. However, even at RG Kar Medical College—the scene of the heinous crime —there is still no adequate CCTV installation, including in the seminar room where the murder took place.

The other security component is infrastructure. Without adequate facilities and services, overcrowding leads to frustration among patients and attendants, creating volatile situations. At RG Kar and other medical colleges, infrastructure is deteriorating despite the rising patient load from across the state.

The emergency building at RG Kar, vandalised by a mob on August 14 last year, remains non-functional.

Emergency services have been shifted to the trauma building, leading to daily chaos. While CISF personnel have been deployed, bringing some measure of safety, the core infrastructure issues remain unaddressed.

Also read: RG Kar, law college, Sandeshkhali: Bengal’s chilling nexus of crime and politics

So there are CCTV cameras, but not enough to ensure safety?

There are CCTV cameras, but their coverage is insufficient. If there had been adequate cameras in the seminar room, the events of that day could have been captured in full. The absence of comprehensive coverage has left critical gaps in evidence.

What is the current status of other reforms promised after the incident, such as forming Internal Complaints Committees, ensuring transparency in examinations, and conducting students’ union elections?

We had demanded a fair democratic environment across all institutions, with active participation from students and postgraduate trainees. This included holding Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) elections and students’ union elections, which have not been conducted for the past 7–8 years in Bengal.

Without democratic processes, ruling party-affiliated organisations like the All India Medical Conference Party (AIMCP) hold all key positions, creating an autocratic environment. The state government had promised to hold these elections after the RG Kar incident, but no progress has been made.

There are still no statutory RDA bodies in Bengal’s medical colleges, unlike in AIIMS and other central institutions.

Has the alleged “culture of intimidation” in medical institutions changed since the incident?

This culture of fear existed across institutions before the RG Kar incident. We fought against it during the movement, and some individuals involved faced consequences. However, many of them have been reinstated in institutions by the government.

Their influence is somewhat reduced, but intimidation persists. Female doctors, in particular, continue to encounter individuals associated with this culture, and the atmosphere of fear remains in medical colleges.

Also read: Calcutta HC begins hearing fresh RG Kar plea as docs face ‘state wrath’

There are allegations that doctors who led the RG Kar protest are facing harassment from the state government. Can you share specific examples?

There is clear evidence of vindictive action. Dr Ankit Mahato, Dr Debasish Saldar, and Dr Ashfaq Ullah Nia—who led the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front—were unfairly transferred after completing their postgraduate courses.

In the Senior Resident (SR) postings, Dr Mahato was initially allotted RG Kar Medical College but was reassigned to a hospital 7–8 hours from Kolkata, violating merit-based counselling norms. Similarly, Dr Saldar and Dr Nia were transferred to Purulia and Malda to keep them away from Kolkata and prevent their participation in protests.

This matter is now before the Calcutta High Court, which has indicated a positive response, but the doctors have not yet been reinstated.

What is the forum’s future course of action to improve the situation and ensure justice for the trainee doctor?

Today, marks the first anniversary of the incident. We are holding a rally from College Square to Shyambazar, followed by an overnight vigil, and tomorrow there will be a protest gathering at RG Kar Medical College against the prevailing institutional culture.

The CBI, despite being the top investigative agency, has not delivered justice. It has accepted the Kolkata Police’s findings, naming only Sanjay Rai as the accused.

The trial court has noted loopholes in the case, and the CBI did not probe them in depth.

The agency had acknowledged evidence tampering involving Sandeep Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar, and the officer-in-charge of Tala police station, but has not filed a supplementary chargesheet against them.

Both are currently out on bail. We will continue to press for a supplementary chargesheet and a fresh investigation.

Also read: RG Kar rape-murder victim's father alleges involvement of many in crime

Was it difficult to get permissions for today’s rally?

Yes. When we began setting up our stage at Shyambazar, the police stopped us, claiming we had no permission, despite being informed by email the previous day. Throughout the past year, our protests have faced repeated obstruction.

In the past two days alone, seven to eight members of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front have been served FIR notices at their homes, an apparent attempt to intimidate and socially target them.

This is part of a broader effort to suppress our voice and create an environment of fear.

The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.