The father of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, who was brutally raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has said that his daughter kept a personal diary and he has a torn page from it.
“She used to keep the diary in her bag,” her father told NDTV, explaining how they would sometimes tease her about reading it. “But why would we read the personal diary of a grown woman? When we used to talk to her after she returned, she always shared whatever was bothering her – from work to studies to everything.”
“I have a picture of a torn piece from her diary,” he said, refusing to reveal more. “The CBI has requested to refrain from discussing the contents publicly.”
The father’s anguish was palpable as he reflected on the circumstances of his daughter’s death. “The place where I sent my daughter to make a living and serve the people, they did not protect her. It is very sad,” he said.
Nationwide Protests
The incident has sparked nationwide protests, with junior doctors in West Bengal, Delhi, and other states taking to the streets, demanding justice for their colleague. In Kolkata, the situation remains tense. The Supreme Court has taken up the case on its own and is set to hear the matter on August 20.
Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has been questioned by the CBI for three consecutive days. The agency is probing his phone calls made before and after the incident, hoping to piece together the events leading to the victim’s death.
The Kolkata Police summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray after he publicly demanded that the CBI interrogate the Kolkata police commissioner. The police also issued summonses to former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and two prominent doctors for allegedly spreading rumours and disclosing the identity of the victim.
Family Seeks Justice
The victim’s family has accused the West Bengal government of attempting to stifle public outcry, despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s protests against the incident.
Taking a dig at the Bengal Chief Minister, the father of the victim said that he has lost faith in the Trinamool leader.
“Early on, I had full faith in her, but now, no. She is asking for justice, but what is she saying that for? She can take charge of that; she is doing nothing,” he said.
The victim’s mother, standing next to her husband, slammed the much-touted welfare schemes introduced by Ms Banerjee’s administration, which she dismissed as hollow promises. The mother used the goddess Lakshmi as a metaphor to question the schemes aimed at making the lives of women easier.
“All the schemes by Mamata Banerjee – the Kanyashree scheme, the Lakshmi scheme – all pseudo. Whoever wants to avail of these schemes, before availing them, kindly see if your Lakshmi at home is safe at all,” she said.
Government’s Response
In response to the mounting pressure, the West Bengal government has announced a series of measures to ensure the safety of women in workplaces, particularly in state-run hospitals. These include designated retiring rooms and CCTV-monitored ‘safe zones’ to protect those working night shifts.
Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Banerjee, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, announced the measures, but the ongoing protests suggest that healthcare workers are not satisfied with the government’s response. Over 70 Padma awardee doctors have also written to the Prime Minister, demanding a special law to address violence against healthcare personnel.
