Indian authorities in Kolkata have dismissed the city’s police chief and top health officials following widespread protests triggered by the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor.
The doctor’s bloodied body was discovered at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on August 9, sparking national outrage over the ongoing issue of violence against women.
The murder has led to protests across India, with medical professionals staging strikes to demand better safety for women in healthcare. While demonstrations have eased in most parts of the country, protests in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, continue.
In response to the escalating unrest, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the removal of key officials after a meeting with protesting doctors on Monday night.
She confirmed that Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, along with the director of health services and the director of medical colleges, had been dismissed from their posts, as requested by the junior doctors leading the protests.
“We have agreed to remove the director of health services and director of medical colleges,” Banerjee told reporters after the meeting.
“Vineet Goyal, commissioner of Kolkata police, will also be removed, as demanded by the junior doctors.”
Banerjee urged the doctors to end their strike, stating that emergency services were being disrupted by the ongoing demonstrations.
However, Aniket Mahato, spokesperson for the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, declared that the protests would continue until a thorough investigation into the case is completed.
One suspect has been detained in connection with the murder, but the West Bengal state government has faced harsh criticism from the public for its handling of the investigation.
Thousands of protesters marched through Kolkata on Monday, chanting slogans and demanding justice for the slain doctor.
The protests have also drawn attention from India’s Supreme Court, which recently ordered the formation of a national task force to improve security for healthcare workers.
The Court described the murder as a crime that had “shocked the conscience of the nation,” and called for urgent action to protect medical professionals.
Protests are expected to continue in Kolkata until the medical community’s demands for justice and improved safety measures are fully addressed.