The Calcutta High Court on Friday sharply criticised the state government over the vandalism and violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where junior doctors have been protesting since August 9 against the rape and murder of a doctor in the hospital’s seminar hall.A bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya observed a lack of preventive measures by the state, calling the incident an “absolute failure of state machinery” and a “sorry state of affairs.”The bench also questioned the state government about the urgency and timing of renovation work near the crime scene at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. It ordered the state to file an affidavit with photographs to demonstrate that the crime scene remains intact.The court directed the police and the administrator of the hospital to file two separate affidavits narrating the true state of affairs and all connected matters on the next hearing date on August 21.It also ordered the police to place on record the entire sequence of events that led to the vandalism in the hospital.Notably, the Kolkata Police said on Friday that it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence. Those arrested were remanded to police custody by a city court till August 22, officials said.The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, condemning the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in the hospital’s seminar hall on August 9.Several people, including some policemen, were injured in the violence.Meanwhile, the cease-work by junior doctors at government healthcare facilities, protesting the rape-murder of the postgraduate trainee, continued on Friday.The agitating doctors have been demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits and enhanced security at workplace.Opposition parties in the state have accused the police of not taking adequate action when the vandalism and violence took place at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Thursday evening that two floors of its emergency ward have been destroyed, medicines looted and infrastructure and equipment severely damaged.(With additional inputs from PTI)
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