ED raids in Bengal over irregularities in NRI quota medical admissions
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials conducted simultaneous raids at several medical colleges, hospitals, and residences in West Bengal on Tuesday. The operations, aimed at investigating alleged irregularities in NRI quota admissions, took place in districts including Kolkata, Birbhum, Durgapur, Jhargram, and Burdwan, targeting officials and institutions, including those linked to former CPI(M) leader Lakshman Seth.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to a man who was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police in 2016 for allegedly being a member of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Stating that the petitioner Abdul Kalim alias Azad is in custody for more than eight years, his lawyer prayed for bail claiming that there is no possibility of the trial concluding in near future. Lawyer for the state submitted that the petitioner was convicted in the 2014 Khagragarh blast case, which was investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Two persons died in a blast in a house at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal on October 2, 2014. Links of banned JMB were found by the investigators in connection with the blast. The petitioner's lawyer submitted that the period of sentence awarded in the previous conviction has come to an end and he is entitled to concurrent running of the sentence with the said period in the event he is convicted in the present case. A division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the allegation was serious in nature and relates to Azad's membership of a banned organisation. The court said that no overt act has, however, been attributed to the petitioner and his complicity to the offences is primarily based on uncorroborated statement of a co-accused. The bench, also comprising Justice Gaurang Kanth, said that the petitioner has already served out sentence in another case and is entitled to seek concurrent running of the two terms of imprisonment even if he is convicted in the present case. Observing that there is no possibility of conclusion of the trial in the near future, the bench granted bail to Azad. The court directed the accused to pay two sureties of Rs 10,000 each and ordered him to stay within the jurisdiction of Kolkata and South 24 Parganas districts. He was also directed to report to the officer in-charge of the state STF once a week.
Senior Citizen Arrested For Sexually Abusing 3-Year-Old In Bengal's Katwa
A senior citizen at Katwa in West Bengal's East Burdwan district has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a three-year-old girl.
CBI Grills Two Suspended Doctors in RG Kar Medical College Rape-Murder Case
Kolkata : Two suspended doctors, close to Trinamul Congress, were summoned and grilled by the CBI at its office in CGO Complex of Salt Lake beyond midnight of Saturday in the brutal rape and murder of an-duty female doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH). They are Birupaksha Biswas and Avik Dey, known to be close aides of arrested former principal of RGKMCH Sandip Ghosh. Both of them were earlier posted at Burdwan Medical College but were present at the crime scene in the seminar hall of RGKMCH on August 9. CBI wanted to know about their purpose there. Both were allowed to go after 1.30 am following their questioning and recording of their statements. They were however summoned on Sunday again. Dr Biswas turned up in the morning. Meanwhile, a junior doctor of RGKMCH Sourav Pal was summoned and questioned by the CBI during the day. He also faced questioning on Saturday. On the other hand, a cop in the rank of a sub inspector of the Tala police station also appeared before the CBI and handed over some official documents.
Junior doctors resume work in RG Kar hospital after 42 days of protest
KOLKATA: Amid partial resumption of duties by protesting doctors after a gap of 42 days since the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, CBI sleuths on Saturday started questioning another doctor, allegedly close to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the college, a CBI officer said. Birupaksha Biswas is one of the three doctors against whom an FIR has been lodged. The two other doctors Avik De and Ranjit Saha and Biswas have been charged with threatening students at different medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal. They have been booked under Section 351 (assault as making a gesture or preparation causing someone to believe that they are about to be subjected to criminal force) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. RG Kar incident: Junior doctors resume duties partially at state-run hospitals in Bengal after 42 days Biswas, who was recently transferred by the health department from Burdwan Medical College and Hospital to remote Kakdwip hospital in South 24 Parganas district, appeared before CBI officers at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake area. Biswas, allegedly part of a North Bengal lobby operational in medical colleges, was seen at RG Kar Hospital on August 9, when the body of the woman medic was found, the CBI officer said. The North Bengal lobby is being cited by medics in West Bengal to a group of doctors and officials posted at state-run medical establishments who allegedly threatened students. He is being questioned about his presence at RG Kar Hospital on August 9 despite having no official engagement, apart from other queries, the officer said. In a tenuous peace with the government, junior doctors on Saturday rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a gap of 42 days. The cease work protest culminated in direct talks with the chief minister Mamata Banerjee where strikers stuck to their demands but yielded some ground citing patient care. The prolonged agitation was a spontaneous outpouring of outrage after the rape-murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors rejoined their duties following Kolkata doctor rape and murder case The junior doctors rejoined their duties in essential and emergency services across all state-run hospitals, excluding the OPDs. We have started rejoining duties today. Our colleagues have started returning to their respective departments since this morning only in essential and emergency services. Please do not forget that this is only a partial resumption of duties, said an agitating doctor. He said his other colleagues have already left for flood-hit districts of the state where they would start Abhaya clinics (medical camps), to demonstrate their commitment to public health even amid ongoing protests. It is a great relief for us. We support their cause but it had become very difficult for regular patients like us to get treatment for the last one month or so because of the agitation, said a patient at Bankura Medical College and Hospital. Several patients were seen pouring in at an Abhaya clinic in flood-hit Panskura in Purba Medinipur district. We have received very good response in these clinics. Several people have visited the clinics and our colleagues have attended to them. We are ready to provide 24/7 service... it is our commitment, Aheli Chowdhury, a junior doctor manning one such clinic, said. The agitating doctors said that they would wait for another seven days for the administration to fulfill their demands for justice for the deceased doctor and the removal of state health secretary or else they would start another round of cease work.
RG Kar case: CBI questions close aide of arrested ex-principal Sandip Ghosh
CBI sleuths on Saturday started questioning another doctor, allegedly close to arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, in connection with their probe into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the medical establishment, an officer of the agency said. Birupaksha Biswas, who was recently transferred by the West Bengal Health Department from Burdwan Medical College and Hospital to remote Kakdwip hospital in South 24 Parganas district, appeared before officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake area. Biswas, allegedly part of a 'North Bengal lobby' operational in medical colleges, was seen at RG Kar Hospital on August 9, when the body of the woman medic was found, the CBI officer said. The 'North Bengal lobby' is being referred by medics in West Bengal to a group of doctors and officials posted at state-run medical establishments who allegedly threatened students. He is being questioned about hi
Activists, film directors, actors lead massive protest rally in Kolkata over doctor rape-murder
KOLKATA: Prominent film personalities and rights activists held a night-long sit-in in Kolkata till 4 am on Monday, demanding justice for a doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at a hospital last month. Thousands of people participated in a protest march on Sunday, and at the end of the rally, they squatted in the Esplanade area in central Kolkata, vowing to be there till Monday morning to press upon the government for a swift probe into the heinous crime and arrest of the culprits. Sunday night's protest was reminiscent of the Women Reclaim The Night event that was held on August 14 at midnight to demand justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor. Kolkata rape-murder: Prominent Bengali film personalities join mass protest We had given the 4 am deadline to the administration for addressing our demand. But we did not hear anything from any state department - police, health and women and child welfare. At the start of the dharna, we had sent separate mails to these departments, urging them to send representatives to listen to our grievances. Not a single state representative responded or turned up at the venue, film director Birsa Dasgupta said. Actor Sohini Sarkar said the participants of the mega rally which commenced from College Square in northern Kolkata, will discuss how to carry forward the movement after the expiry of the 4 am deadline. We will not dismantle the stage erected for the sit-in, she said. Actor Swastika Mukherjee, who was at the forefront of the protest, demanded azadi from abuse and strict punishment of convicted rapists. Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Junior doctors in Bengal reject Mamata's appeal to end agitation Our protests will become stronger from now and will continue. There will be relaxation during Durga Puja as so many poor people are dependent on this festival, the actor said. She also said, Arresting everyone in the RG Kar case is crucial for the safety of every woman. Notably, the body of the postgraduate trainee doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, and a civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the medic. The incident has triggered nationwide outrage and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the matter upon the direction of the Calcutta High Court. Now, audio clip threat emerges from Kolkata govt- run Burdwan Medical College
Now, audio clip threat emerges from Kolkata govt- run Burdwan Medical College
KOLKATA: An audio clip of a senior resident of Burdwan Medical College Birupaksha Biswas threatening an intern has gone viral, raising further questions on the affairs of the state-run hospitals in West Bengal. In the clip, the senior resident can be heard threatening to cancel registration of the intern if he flags issues concerning some doctors in the hospital. In the purported clip, Dr Biswas can be heard telling the intern that he can ruin his career if he opens his mouth. Dr Biswas told the intern that everybody knows me very well and nobody has got the audacity to complain against me. The clip, which has gone viral on social media, was before rape-and-murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Didi again writes to Modi seeking Central laws, hikes salary of civic volunteers When contacted, Dr Biswas said, It is not my audio clip. I have not threatened any student in my college. As I am close to Trinamool Congress, a nexus of doctors is trying to malign my image. The intern said that he was surprised to get a call from Dr Biswas as he hadnt spoken anything against anybody. Sources in the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that Dr Biswas is very powerful and close to Dr Sudipto Roy, an MLA of the ruling party. Dr Biswas takes bribes from medical students and doctors if he helps them in tranfer and posting. He often threatens doctors not to highlight any irregularities. And if they do, then their registration will be cancelled, sources said. Dr Biswas was seen in the seminar hall of RG Kar with police officers and others soon after the rape-murder of the trainee doctor on August 9. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has decided to move to Supreme Court against the bail granted to Sayan Lahiri, one of the three students who organised the Nabanna Abhiyan on Tuesday. Lahiri was granted bail on Saturday by a lower court. The government on Saturday appointed Manoj Panth as chief secretary in place of BP Gopalika. West Bengal: Doctors say getting threat calls, will intensify stir Shreya Shosal backs protest, postpones concert Popular singer Shreya Ghoshal on Saturday announced postponing her concert in Kolkata, stating she was deeply affected by the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar. In a post on X, she said that the concert scheduled on September 14 was highly anticipated but it was absolutely imperative to take a stand and join those protesting in solidarity. I am deeply affected by the gruesome and heinous incident that recently took place in Kolkata. Being a woman myself, the very thought of the sheer brutality that she must have gone through is unthinkable and sends shivers down my spine, she said. Winner of Banga Ratna returns award to protest Kolkata rape-murder At night, drunk civic volunteer hits student A civic volunteer was arrested for allegedly riding his motorbike into a no-traffic zone and injuring a student of Rabindra Bharati University on Saturday. The students were protesting against the rape-murder of the 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred at 2 am when the drunk civic volunteer entered the no-traffic zone where a night vigil seeking justice for the doctor was on and hit a student. The students of the Rabindra Bharati University had the necessary permission to hold the protest. Agitating students then blocked BT Road for nearly five hours, alleging that a traffic sergeant helped the civic volunteer escape from the spot. A senior police officer said the civic volunteer has been arrested and an FIR has been lodged. Necessary legal steps have been taken, he said. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to cancel the licence of civic volunteers who will be found drunk during duty office hours.
