Calcutta High Court Dismisses Bengal Government's Venue Objections for Doctors' Protest
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Kolkata, Dec 20 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court on Friday dismissed the state government's objections concerning the location for the sit-in protest led by the West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, a collective of senior medical professionals, opposing the default bail awarded to two individuals accused of manipulating evidence in the horrific case of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in August.
The single-judge bench presided by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh had previously approved the doctors' right to hold their sit-in demonstration at Doreena Crossing in central Kolkata.
Simultaneously, the bench allowed the administration to express its views by Friday regarding potential limitations on the event.
However, on Friday, the state government’s counsel raised objections concerning the protest's location, citing anticipated traffic issues during the Christmas and New Year celebrations and proposed an alternative site.
Justice Ghosh, however, dismissed these claims, affirming that since he had already granted permission for the protest to take place at Doreena Crossing, the administration had no grounds to contest the venue.
He recommended that the state administration erect a seven-foot tall guardrail around the protest area to keep protesters contained during the demonstration. Additionally, the protest must not surpass December 26.
Justice Ghosh further stipulated that no objectionable comments should be made from the protest site, nor should any actions disrupt the festive atmosphere of the city at this time of year.
Moreover, he ruled that the number of participants at the venue should not exceed 250.
Recently, a special court in Kolkata had granted default bail to Sandip Ghosh, the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar, and Abhijit Mondal, the former SHO of Tala Police Station, due to the CBI’s failure to file a supplementary charge sheet within the mandated 90 days following their arrests. Both are accused of obstructing the investigation and tampering with evidence during the initial inquiry conducted by Kolkata Police. Following this incident, representatives from the medical community as well as the victim's family have criticized the CBI for its severe incompetence.
