Clashes in Kolkata as RG Kar doctor’s parents lead the protest march. Police in Kolkata have clashed with demonstrators during a rally led by the parents of a young doctor who was raped and murdered last year at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The unrest broke out on Saturday when the march, which had been given a designated protest site, diverted towards Park Street in central Kolkata. Protesters attempted to breach police barricades in a bid to reach the West Bengal secretariat, Nabanna.
Police used batons and water cannons to disperse the crowd, which included senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders such as Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Mr Adhikari alleged that more than 100 people, including BJP legislators and the victim’s parents, were injured. The victim’s mother accused the police of physically assaulting her. “Mamata Banerjee’s police roughed me up without provocation and broke my bangles,” she said. “All we want is to reach the secretariat and seek justice for my daughter.”
In January, a CBI court convicted Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, of the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, whose body was found inside the hospital’s seminar hall in August 2024. A post-mortem report confirmed she had been throttled and smothered. The case sparked widespread protests and led to the resignation of the hospital’s principal. Police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in areas around Nabanna, and traffic restrictions were enforced on major roads and bridges, including Howrah Bridge. Some protesters attempted to dismantle 10-foot-high barricades in both Kolkata and Howrah, while others scaled them or used blunt tools to break through. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul and other party workers were seen climbing onto barricades. The Kolkata Police said they had deployed heavy security, including the Rapid Action Force, and placed large containers and multi-layered barricades to prevent marches from reaching sensitive locations. Another rally is planned from Hazra crossing to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat.
