RG Kar Medical College senior doctors allege tampering of evidence in medic's rape-murder case

 NEW DELHI: Senior doctors of RG Kar Medical College on Monday alleged tampering of evidence in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case.

Addressing a press conference here, 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 the West Bengal government and health department officials," said one of the doctors.

The doctors alleged there was "tampering of evidence".

In a statement, the doctors have demanded that they want concerned authorities, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Supreme Court to expedite the investigation process and punish the culprits without any delay.

Remove the director medical education (DME), director health services (DHS) and health secretary as their signatures are present in the order for construction work in the immediate auspices of the crime scene, when it should have been completely cordoned off, they demanded in the statement.

The doctors have also demanded the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goel for his administrative failure and evidence tampering, disciplinary action against deputy commissioner (north) for his incompetence and offering money to the victim's parents, and deputy commissioner (central) for trying to hide the identity of a suspected person present inside the crime scene.

They demanded proper security and functional basic amenities in all hospitals and government healthcare centres.

Their fifth demand was to end threat culture prevalent in all facets of government healthcare facilities.

In the statement, the doctors have stated that numerous attempts have been made to politically exploit their movement but have been successfully defied from their side.

They said many false narratives and rumours have been spread regarding their movement but could never dampen their spirit. They stand firm, rooted to their cause in finding justice despite all threats posed at them and their movement, they added.

The doctors are presently sitting in front of Swasthyo Bhavan for the last six days to make the state government fulfil their demands, it said.

"We were looking forward to have a hopefully fruitful meeting with our CM to end this deadlock but two such attempts have failed on the ground of transparency. We have also mailed to the President of India as constitutional head of the country to address the current situation and our five point demands.

"We are patiently waiting for the next Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday. We appeal to the entire nation to join this protest for the retrieval of humanity. We implore everybody to resonate with our five point demands of justice for Abhaya," the statement added.

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.