Family members of the deceased doctor of Kolkata’s R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital have stuck to their stand that the West Bengal government had offered money as compensation after the death of their daughter on August 9.
Refuting the claims made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said on Monday that no money was offered to the family, the mother of the doctor accused Ms. Banerjee of “lying”.
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“My daughter is not going to return. Would I lie in her name? She (the CM) told us that we would receive money and suggested that we create something in our daughter’s memory. I responded that I would collect the money once my daughter gets justice,” the mother told news agency ANI.
The Chief Minister on Monday said that lies are being spread and the government did not offer any money to the family of the victim. Ms. Banerjee said she had told the family that if they wanted any memorial for their daughter, the State government would help.
The family members of the victim, including the parents, have alleged that Deputy Commissioner, North Division, of the Kolkata Police had offered the family money even when the body of the victim was not cremated.
On the Chief Minister’s remark of “joining the festivities and shunning the protest”, the mother of the victim said that Durga Puja will never be celebrated in their household. “Durga Puja is celebrated in my house too. My daughter used to handle it herself. But Durga Puja will never be celebrated in my house again. The light in my home is out. How can I ask people to return to the festival?” she said.
Amidst the ongoing protests, Governor C. V. Ananda Bose requested the Chief Minister to comply with Article 167 (C) of the Constitution which says that the Chief Minister must inform the Governor of all Council of Ministers’ decisions and legislative proposals.
Earlier, the Governor had suggested that the Chief Minister should hold a Cabinet meeting to decide on the people’s demand of removing the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal.
Ghosh sent to judicial custody
In a related development, the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh was sent to judicial custody till September 23 by a special CBI court in a financial irregularities case. The court also sent his security guard Afsar Ali and two alleged associates – medical equipment vendor Biplab Singha and pharmacy shop owner Suman Hazara – to judicial custody till September 23. Dr. Ghosh and three others were arrested on September 2 by the CBI in a case involving corruption at the health facility.
There were chaotic scenes at the Alipore Court where the accused were produced. People shouted ‘chor, chor’ (thief, thief) and one person was seen hurling a slipper at the ex-principal and banging the prison van.
So far, only one person has been arrested in connection with the rape and murder of the doctor whose body was recovered on August 9 from the seminar room of the hospital. The accused Sanjoy Roy, a civic police volunteer, was arrested by Kolkata Police hours after the crime.
Published - September 10, 2024 01:52 pm IST
