While media coverage has rightly focused on sexual violence, the rape-murder case has exposed the rotten core of our medical system—controlled by politicians and their lackeys.
First: How we got here
The hospital: It is named after Radha Gobinda Kar—who established a small medical college—Calcutta School of Medicine—from a rented house in 1886. It soon acquired a college building—and a 30-bed hospital. It was first named after Lord Carmichael—and later renamed to honour its founder in 1948.
The government took control of the college and hospital in 1958. Today, it is one of the largest government hospitals in Bengal—with 1,200 beds. It receives around 2,500 outpatients every day—plus another 1,500 in the ER.
The killing: On August 9, a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor was found murdered in a seminar hall in RG Kar Medical College. The body had extensive injuries—revealing that she had been raped and strangled. An examination of the body showed extensive injuries—suggesting she was brutally assaulted—and suggested more than one assailant.
The autopsy report revealed the following:
[O]ver 14 injuries across the victim's head, face, neck, arms, and genitals and confirmed evidence of forceful penetration, indicating sexual assault. The cause of death was determined to be “manual strangulation associated with smothering.”
The arrest: The very next day, the Kolkata police arrested a police ‘volunteer’ Sanjay Roy—after his “prolonged examination and confession of guilt.” The evidence included the discovery of his headphone at the scene, CCTV footage and, of course, confession.
About those ‘civic volunteers’: The arrest turned the spotlight on Mamata Banerjee’s civic volunteer program—supposedly to gainfully employ youth without much of an education or prospect of a better paying job. They are paid around Rs 9,000 a month. The volunteers, however, have become a private force for the TMC:
The civic volunteers were initially recruited to help police control traffic and be general "do-gooders". Over time, they were co-opted to run a parallel law and order management system, granting them proximity to the ruling party which brings its benefits and perks.
Access and impunity: Roy’s position as a civic volunteer made him untouchable:
Nobody had the guts to stop his unhindered movements in and around the hospital. There is ample evidence that the accused was throwing his weight around because of his proximity with senior police officers.
It also made him the king of the commissions. RG Kar—like many hospitals—are controlled by a network of touts—who offer services for a price. You can get speedy doctor appointments, medical tests, a hospital bed, and even an early surgery date. Roy had his finger in every pie.
What happened next: Here’s a quick timeline of the past month:
- The doctor protests kicked off almost immediately—even as Mamata promised the death penalty for the perpetrators.
- On August 12, the Principal of the hospital—Sandip Ghosh—stepped down—but was transferred to another cushy government job.
- The next day, the Calcutta High Court accused the hospital of negligence—and ordered Ghosh to go on leave.
- The politics around the case began to heat up. On August 14, the CBI stepped in to take over the case—while Mamata bizarrely announced her own protest rally.
- On I-Day, a mob stormed the hospital—vandalising the premises—in a clear attempt to intimidate the protesting doctors.
- The protests became angrier and more widespread. The Supreme Court stepped in to take up the case on August 18.
- The CBI investigation focused primarily on Ghosh—who was interrogated, subjected to a polygraph test—and raided his residence.
What happened now: The Sandip Ghosh arrest
Ever since the CBI took over the case, it has been focused on what happened after the victim was killed. And RG Kar’s former principal Sandip Ghosh has been suspect #1.
The corruption charges: Ghosh was taken into CBI custody for questioning for 15 days. On September 2, he was arrested on corruption charges. He allegedly was part of a “criminal nexus” that involved two vendors for the hospital—and his security guard. Basically, he favoured these people with hospital contracts—and presumably profited from them.
Point to note: This is not the first time Ghosh has been accused of corruption. Last year, he was transferred to another college on similar allegations of manipulating hospital contracts. Then he was mystifyingly transferred right back within a few days.
What happened now: On Saturday, Ghosh was arrested again—along with a police inspector. This time, the men are accused of a cover up. The specific charges against Ghosh:
He was arrested for misleading the investigation and for his alleged role in the destruction of evidence by not declaring the death of the victim immediately and the considerable delay in registration of the FIR.
The details of this arrest are scant—but the CBI had previously told the Supreme Court that “the crime scene had been tampered with and the victim's family was deceived into believing that their daughter's death was a suicide.” The Solicitor General had also flagged the FIR issue:
The most shocking fact is that the first FIR was registered at 11:45 pm after cremation. The parents were told it was a suicide, then death and then friends of the doctor at the hospital insisted on videography. They also suspected something was amiss.
The CBI claims “there could be a bigger conspiracy”—and that Ghosh issued instructions to the inspector on how to proceed with the rape-murder case.
As for the policeman: Abhijit Mondol is the inspector at Tala police station—which has jurisdiction over the hospital. He too is accused of tampering with the crime scene—and delaying the FIR. According to a CBI officer: “The policeman has been questioned eight times earlier and every time he gave different versions.”
A reckoning for Mamata
The protests: have attracted everyone from doctors to actors, students and delivery personnel. Some compare it to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. According to filmmaker Mahadeb Shi:
This is undoubtedly the first mass agitation in Bengal after independence. The movement grew organically and it is possible that even some Trinamool Congress women are participating in it. It is independent of political ideologies and has evolved into a call for conscience, something that is lacking today.
Reckoning for Mamata: The woman who has trounced mightier rivals—now finds herself unable to blunt the rage of the people:
Never before in her 13-year stint as chief minister has she faced sustained pressure from the public on such a scale. Every other day Kolkata and its hinterlands and even some towns have witnessed marches, processions, and candlelight vigils. Sometimes there are as many as 22-23 protest rallies on a single day in the city. Many of them call for Banerjee’s resignation—she is in charge of both the home and health ministries in the state.
Most damaging bit: The tragedy has become damning proof of the deep-seated corruption and cronyism of Mamata’s regime. In every area of governance, a coterie of thugs ruled in her name. RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh was no different:
It was not unusual for the principal to strut around with such bouncers and namedrop the chief minister to flaunt his power, say insiders. “It is an open secret. Ask anybody at RG Kar, and they’ll tell you how Ghosh threw his weight around by claiming proximity to the chief minister. Students were scared of antagonising him because they felt their career would go for a toss," said a resident doctor, seeking anonymity.
This is perhaps why the protests have attracted such broad support. This about a lot more than a single murder or rape case, say local experts:
The flareup is the outcome of a deep seated disillusionment and dissatisfaction over many areas of governance. She/he may have lost a school teacher’s job to an ineligible candidate for refusing to bribe the system… The ground was ready, it just needed a cause.
Important point to note: For all the rage at Mamata, the protests have remained stubbornly non-partisan. The BJP and others have tried to make hay of Mamata’s miseries—but to little political benefit:
The unusual thing this time.. is that the people have consciously left behind their political preferences and identities. Realising that politicians would, as usual, divide rather than unite people, they have been firmly kept out.
Protesters have carefully distanced themselves from parties—and their support. Political banners are not allowed at rallies. Doctors have been careful to hold separate marches—distinct from those backed by the BJP.
The bottomline: According to recent surveys, over 75% of doctors have faced violence of some kind at the workplace. Less than 20% of doctors felt safe during night shifts. Sexual harassment is routine—by doctors, security guards–even attendants of patients. The RG Kar case has become the proverbial rock—lift it and all the creepy crawlies come wiggling out.
Reading list
Times of India profiles Sandip Ghosh—while Indian Express has more on the latest charges. The Hindu looks at why the protests matter. India Today offers background on RG Kar—while Indian Express reports on the reign of the touts. We didn’t get into the big picture on hospital safety—which has been very well covered in the South China Morning Post, New York Times, and Scroll.
