Politics

Kolkata Police Suspend Two ACPs and Inspector for Dereliction of Duty Amid RG Kar Medical College Vandalism

Two Assistant Commissioners and one Inspector of Kolkata Police have been suspended for dereliction of duty during the recent case of vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the night of August 14. A group of miscreants, 40-50 in number, stormed into the state-run medical institution and ransacked the Emergency Department. The suspended officers were on duty: ACPs Shakir Uddin Sardar, Ramesh Shah Chowdhury, and Inspector Rakesh Minj.

The decision to suspend the officers came a short while after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Kolkata Police for not being able to prevent vandalization. The Supreme Court Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of the case and said, “There is a need for systematic changes so that doctors across India are safe.” The top court has also set up a 10-member task force to establish a national protocol for doctor safety, with an interim report expected within a period of three weeks.

The incident has invited widespread condemnation from the medical fraternity, where protesting students and healthcare professionals accused the police of being mute spectators during the attack. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal admitted that flaws existed in the manner of police response, acknowledging that it was caught off guard with the sudden escalation of violence.

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The case is relating to the tragic rape and killing of a second-year PG student in the same medical college on August 9. Following that incident, the Calcutta High Court had transferred the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI; its probe began on August 14.