Three senior Kolkata Police officers, including two assistant commissioners of police (ACPs), have been suspended over vandalism at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week.
Days after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the seminar hall of the state-run hospital, a mob had barged into the premises. It vandalised its emergency department, nursing station and medicine store.
The violence at the state-run hospital took place amid midnight protests by women in Kolkata.
“Three officers have been suspended… Two are assistant police commissioners and one is an inspector,” an official told PTI.
The Kolkata Police came under severe criticism by the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, which slammed the former for not being able to control the mob.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court questioned the police over a host of issues, including delay in filing the first information report, delay in handing over the body to the victim’s family and failure to protect women and doctors during the mob attack.
A bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, said the country would be denying the right to equality if women can’t go to work and be safe.
The court also noted that the ex-principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, tried to pass off the murder as a suicide.
The bench also asked the police how they could allow miscreants to enter the hospital, which was an active crime scene.
The court added that the body was handed over to the family at 8.30 am for the funeral and the murder FIR was registered at 11.45 pm.
The woman was raped and murdered at the seminar hall when she had gone to the room to rest amid her 36-hour shift. Her post-mortem report revealed that she had 16 external and nine internal injuries. The report also confirmed sexual assault.
Doctors across the country have been protesting against the rape-murder. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court urged them to call off their agitation and assured them of action on their demands.