West Bengal Governor calls emergency meeting amid outcry over Kolkata medical college rape-murder case

File picture of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose
| Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Sunday night stated that he “called an emergency meeting of a cross-section of Bengal society” to apprise them of the action taken in the Kolkata R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case and to gather their opinions on the issue.

His statement comes after former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared a letter urging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Bose to take immediate and decisive action.

Taking to social media platform X, Bengal Governor Bose said, “HG’s swift action on the letter from Shri Harbhajan Singh expressing his anguish over the tragic incident at R.G. Kar Medical College. HG has called an emergency meeting of a cross-section of Bengal society to apprise them of the action taken in the matter and to take stock of their opinions in this regard.”

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He further stated that he would be addressing Singh on the actions taken and expressed his “solidarity with the civil society across India, who have voiced their deep concern over the ghastly incident and the apparent inaction of the government.”

Earlier on Sunday, in a post on X, Singh expressed deep anguish over the delay in justice for the victim and emphasised the need for swift action.

“With deep anguish over the delay in justice for the Kolkata rape and murder victim, an incident that has shaken the conscience of all of us, I have penned a heartfelt plea to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. @MamataOfficial Ji, and Hon’ble @BengalGovernor, urging them to act swiftly and decisively,” Singh said.

He stressed that the safety and dignity of women are non-negotiable and that the perpetrators of this heinous crime must face exemplary punishment.

“The safety and dignity of women are non-negotiable. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must face the full weight of the law, and the punishment must be exemplary. Only then can we begin to restore faith in our system and ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again, creating a society where every woman feels safe and protected,” Singh added.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community. On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at R.G. Kar were vandalised by a mob.