Kolkata, August 16 (The Street Press India) – Police have reviewed video footage and arrested 12 young men in connection with the rampage at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital early Wednesday morning.
Several others have been detained on suspicion, according to police. Three suo motu cases have been registered at different police stations for violence, assault on government officials, and damage to public property.
Police stated that the accused were identified in videos of the violence, with the help of local sources. They are reportedly from Dum Dum, Belgachhia, Lake Town, and Park Circus.
However, investigators did not disclose the names or details of the accused, despite repeated inquiries from this newspaper.
Speculation about the political affiliations of those arrested began circulating, fueled by the lack of clear information from the police.
Kolkata Police shared multiple photos of the alleged attackers on social media, asking the public for assistance in identifying them. However, no formal announcement about the arrests or the identities of those arrested was made on Thursday.
While thousands of women marched through the streets of Calcutta at midnight to “reclaim” the roads, a large group of men and women, armed with lathis, rods, and sharp weapons, stormed the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. They vandalized the ground floor of the Emergency Building, causing significant damage.
At least three departments across two buildings were targeted.
The unarmed police officers stationed in the area were vastly outnumbered and had no choice but to confront the mob with their bare hands. Several officers were injured and had to be hospitalized.
A senior officer at Lalbazar revealed that the police force had received two specific instructions for Wednesday night. “The first was to avoid any confrontation with people on the streets, even if provoked. The second was to ensure that all the women participating in the march safely returned home,” the officer explained.
None of the police officers stationed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were equipped with firearms or lathis.
“The concern was that, in the event of any confrontation or provocation, the police should never strike a student or a civilian. That’s why they weren’t even provided with lathis,” the officer added.
The rioters exploited the situation, breaking through multiple police barricades and storming the Emergency Building, taking control of the entire ground floor. Glass partitions were shattered, furniture and lights were destroyed, and expensive medical equipment was thrown around. The nurses’ changing room, police barracks, emergency ward, and the police kiosk outside were all ransacked.
Several doctors inside the building fled for safety, seeking refuge in rooms on the upper floors. However, the seminar hall on the third floor, where the rape and murder occurred, remained untouched.
“The place should have been covered by a larger police force. Leaving aside a sudden mob attack, there was also the possibility of an over-enthusiastic crowd of people protesting on the streets walking over to the hospital,” an officer said.
During the court appearance of the arrested individuals, two police officers were reportedly seen wearing uniforms with the name tag of the investigating officer (IO) assigned to the case.
It was later discovered that while one of them was the actual IO, the other officer had allegedly worn the uniform with the IO’s name “by mistake.”
According to sources, the officer was instructed to remove the uniform and carry out his court duties in civilian clothes.
