At least two incidents of harassment of women protesters were reported in Kolkata on Sunday (September 1, 2024) evening during the dharna demanding justice for the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.
Both incidents were reported at the Esplanade area where a large number of protesters, including actors from the Bengali film industry, were present. In the first incident that was caught on CCTV cameras, the accused fled. Later in the evening, another incident of molestation occurred, and the crowd chased and caught the accused.
“The accused, Tapas Pal, who was part of today’s rally from College Square to RR Avenue, was allegedly drunk, and touched the complainant in an indecent way and thereby outraged her modesty,” an official from the Kolkata Police said.
According to the police, the accused was arrested from Rani Rashmoni Avenue and will be produced before a court on Monday (September 2, 2024).
‘Unsafe in crowd too’
These incidents triggered panic amongst hundreds of protesters who gathered in the Esplanade area of the city to demand justice for the gruesome crime at R.G. Kar hospital. The protesters said the women were not safe even amidst a crowd during protests.
Earlier, another incident of sexual assault came to the fore in Howrah, where a laboratory technician was arrested for allegedly abusing a minor girl at a State-run hospital. The incident took place on Saturday evening at the Howrah District Headquarters Hospital, where the 12-year-old girl was admitted last week.
