The bypolls were held in six constituencies - Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST) - following the resignation of MLAs who had vacated their assembly seats after securing victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
'People have lost hope of finding justice in this state ... I want to give these victims, their families, the people of this state, a voice.'
A Kolkata court will pronounce the sentence on Monday for Sanjay Roy, convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was found guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death. The judge will also address questions raised by the victim's father and criticize some activities of the police and hospital authorities.
The rallies were organised from R G Kar hospital, Sagore Dutta Hospital, SSKM Hospital, Calcutta Medical College, and Jadavpur in south Kolkata.
Ghosh was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours, he said.
The draft legislation seeks capital punishment for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state.
Although no fresh arrests were reported in the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation continued with its questioning of top officials of the RG Kar Hospital.
The Calcutta High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit the case diary initially prepared by the Kolkata Police in connection with the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court also instructed the CBI to present a list of individuals interviewed in the case at the next hearing scheduled for April 23. The CBI has been investigating the incident since August 13, 2024, when the case was transferred from Kolkata Police. The court noted inconsistencies between the inquest and post-mortem reports, with two injury marks mentioned in the inquest report but absent in the post-mortem report. The CBI is currently investigating whether there was a larger conspiracy behind the crime and if there had been any attempt to destroy evidence.
Maintaining that other persons were also involved in the crime, the parents of the victim have said that they expect that they will also be arrested and tried before the court.
The parents of the victim doctor in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case have alleged that the investigation is incomplete and several others involved in the crime are still at large. The court is set to deliver its verdict on Saturday, with Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, facing charges of committing the crime. The victim's parents expressed concerns about the presence of other individuals at the crime scene who remain unidentified. The CBI, which is investigating the case, has sought capital punishment for Roy, claiming he was the sole perpetrator.
The top court also questioned the West Bengal government's decision to hire contractual employees for the protection of doctors and other staff in hospitals.
The mother of Sanjoy Roy, convicted for the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, has said she accepts the verdict and believes her son should be punished, even if it means hanging. The court will announce the sentence on Monday.
Sircar, a retired IAS officer, claimed that corruption by a section of leaders of his party and lack of action against them was one of the reasons for his decision.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged BJP candidate Ratna Debnath to appeal to PM Modi to ensure the Aparajita Bill, aimed at time-bound punishment for rape convicts, is enacted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong attack on the ruling TMC in West Bengal, accusing them of running the state through 'syndicates' and promising to address atrocities against women if the BJP gains power.
The BJP experienced a mixed bag of results in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with several heavyweight candidates securing victories while others faced defeat. Key wins included Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari, and others, but some prominent faces failed to win.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged BJP candidate Ratna Debnath to appeal to PM Modi to ensure the Aparajita Bill, which aims for time-bound punishment for rape convicts, is enacted. Banerjee criticised the BJP's stance on women's safety and highlighted the TMC government's prompt action in a previous rape-murder case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong attack on the TMC in West Bengal, accusing them of corruption and syndicate rule, while promising to address atrocities against women if the BJP comes to power.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly attacked by locals during a visit to Sonarpur, West Bengal, to meet families affected by post-poll violence.
Suvendu Adhikari's rise within the BJP in West Bengal has been marked by strategic victories and relentless opposition to the TMC, culminating in his leadership role within the party's legislative wing.
Chanting 'Justice for RG Kar' and 'Justice for our sister', hundreds of IT professionals took to the streets of Sector V in Salt Lake, the city's IT Hub, protesting against the rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital.
The incident took place amid midnight protests by women against the horrific rape-murder of the doctor at the hospital.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
The MHA said that the law and order situation of all states should be monitored in view of the protests.
Bandyopadhyay, eminent playwright and director, said in a statement that he is returning the award conferred on him earlier this year by the Paschimbanga Natya Akademi and the Rs 30,000 monetary grant.
In the state capital Kolkata, civil society members marched from Ramlila Maidan in Moulali to Metro Channel in Esplanade, demanding justice for the victim of the crime that shook the conscience of the nation.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised the West Bengal government over law and order and accused the TMC of sheltering infiltrators and manipulating demographics.
While one was organised by the alumni of Ramakrishna Mission-run educational institutions, another involved students and past pupils from a well-known convent school, both echoing the demand for justice for the medic.
Family members of a doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered in Kolkata last month, joined the protesting medics at RG Kar hospital on Wednesday and accused the Kolkata Police of attempting to suppress the case by hurriedly cremating the body of the doctor.
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose reached Delhi on Monday night amid speculations that he may meet President Droupadi Murmu and senior leaders.
A person was arrested in Kolkata for allegedly disclosing the identity on social media of the doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and issuing threats to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, police said on Monday.
The court said abstention from the work of doctors affects those segments of the society that are in need of medical care.
Amid persistent rain, the protesting doctors continued their sit-in outside 'Swasthya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, for the sixth consecutive day.
Senior West Bengal minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Monday criticised the ongoing 'cease work' by junior doctors, labeling it as "drama" and a "politicised event" intended to malign the Trinamool Congress government in the state.
"I cannot take this insult anymore. All the allegations raised against me are false and fabricated. A student movement has been incited to remove me. There is a political mind behind this. I had informed police within an hour of the incident. CCTV footage has been handed over to police," Ghosh said.
Demanding the resignation of the state's health secretary and director of health education, the striking medics said that they would also take out a rally to 'Swasthya Bhavan' - the headquarters of the health department in Salt Lake - on Tuesday noon.
Senior Trinamool Congress minister Udayan Guha has sparked controversy by claiming that fingers of those blaming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanding her resignation over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor would be broken.
The Kolkata Police on Tuesday began an investigation against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh for his alleged involvement in 'financial irregularities' in the state-run health facility, a senior officer said.
The parents of the woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, have told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that a few interns and physicians of the same medical establishment were involved in the crime, an officer said on Friday.
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