On Friday, the Calcutta High Court characterized the mob violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as a total breakdown of state machinery in West Bengal. The court ordered both the police and hospital authorities to submit affidavits outlining the details of the incident.
Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, who led a division bench, expressed astonishment that police intelligence failed to detect the gathering of 7,000 people at the hospital early Thursday morning, as stated by the state’s lawyer.
“This is a complete failure of state machinery. There was a police force present at the location. They couldn’t even protect their own personnel? This is a dire situation. How are doctors supposed to work without fear?” the Chief Justice remarked, sharply criticizing the West Bengal government.
“You invoke section 144 of the CrPC at the drop of a hat. With so much chaos, you should have secured the area,” he added.
“7,000 people don’t just appear out of nowhere,” he noted.
The court ordered the police and hospital administration to file separate affidavits detailing the true state of affairs before the next hearing on August 21. The bench, which also included Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, asked the police to document the events leading to the vandalism.
Additionally, the CBI’s investigating team was instructed to submit an interim report on their progress regarding the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor on August 9, which sparked a work stoppage by junior doctors in state-run hospitals.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused opposition parties of orchestrating the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She stated, “The police are investigating the incident. I have no issues with students or protesting doctors, but certain political parties are attempting to create unrest. The videos will reveal what actually happened.”
Mamata Banerjee criticized political elements, particularly the Left and the BJP, accusing them of inciting trouble. She claimed that around midnight, approximately 40 individuals pretending to be protesters entered the hospital, vandalized the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, damaged CCTV cameras, and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been protesting since August 9, following the alleged rape and murder of a woman postgraduate trainee and demanding workplace security.
