Doc’s rape & murder, Outrage across country: Kolkata cops gag protesters online, summon TMC MP

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 18

The Kolkata Police have cracked down on online voices critical of Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government’s handling of the rape-murder case. They have further imposed Section 163 under the BNSS, 2023, preventing gatherings around the hospital.

Senior TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendy Sekhar Roy has been summoned over a post demanding custodial interrogation by the CBI of the Kolkata police chief and the hospital principal.

The police claimed Roy, a former TMC chief whip in the Upper House, was peddling misinformation. Roy had written that the police had sent a sniffer dog to the crime scene three days after the crime, a charge denied by the police. They claimed the sniffer dog was sent on August 9 itself, when the incident first came to light.

In his post on X, Roy had said: “The CBI must act fairly. Custodial interrogation of ex-principal and police commissioner is a must to know who and why floated suicide story. Why wall of hall demolished, who patronised Roy to be so powerful. Why sniffer dog used after three days. 100s of such questions. Make them speak.”

The police have also summoned BJP leader and former Lok Sabha member Locket Chatterjee besides doctors Kunal Sarkar and Subarno Goswami for sharing the victim’s name and photo on the social media.

The action comes after journalist-turned TMC’s RS member Sagarika Ghosh wrote on X: “Dear @KolkataPolice@DCCyberKP, these handles are repeatedly spreading fake news about #RGKarHospital tragedy. Social media is an important part of the democratic dialogue, it must not be abused by those deliberately spreading falsehoods. Handles spreading lies must be acted against whatever their political affiliation.”

Slamming the move, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote on X: “WB Police, under Mamata Banerjee, have gone nuts. Unable to control crime against women, all they do is threaten people online for exposing the state govt.”

The CBI, meanwhile, questioned principal Sandeep Ghosh again for the third consecutive day on Sunday. Supporters of arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan also gathered near the Salt Lake football stadium, the venue of the cancelled Calcutta Derby, in a rare show of camaraderie to protest the incident.

Fans of rival soccer clubs unite to protest

Supporters of arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan gathered near the Salt Lake stadium, the venue of the cancelled Kolkata Derby, on Sunday evening in a rare show of camaraderie to protest the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.