When trust is betrayed: The horrific rape-murder of a young resident doctor on duty in Kolkata: A call for justice and change

The brutal rape and murder of a young, promising and ambitious doctor within the premises of the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata has sent shockwaves throughout the medical community and the whole country, casting a dark shadow over the state’s and the nation’s healthcare systems. In addition, this report has exposed alarming lapses that are occurring so frequently in the security and safety of doctors, particularly women, who work in Indian hospitals and clinics. There is also an urgent need to enforce measures on how these vulnerable members of a hitherto revered healing profession should be protected. THE INCIDENT All dreams of the parents of the post-graduate trainee of the R.G. Kar Medical College shattered when they received a phone call on the morning of 9th August 2024. The father, a tailor, had worked hard to make the dream of their only child come true, to become a good doctor to help those in need who were sick and to achieve a gold medal in her final examinations. However, they were telephoned by the assistant superintendent of the hospital and were informed that their daughter had committed suicide.[1] Later, when they reached the premises, they were made to wait for 3 h and were then told that she had been raped and murdered. The victim, a 31-year-old woman, was a 2nd-year post-graduate trainee at the department of pulmonology. Her lifeless body was discovered on the floor of the seminar room of her department on the hospital campus, a place where she was supposed to be safe and surrounded by colleagues and the community she served. Assaulted and barely clothed, her body was found at 9.30 a.m.[2] and the principal of the institution was informed; however, no active action was taken. The first general diary (GDE 542) was recorded by the Tala Police Station at 10.10 am and the police collected 40 exhibits from the crime scene before the First Information Report to the police (FIR) was only lodged at 11.45 pm.[3] At 4.40 pm, a hurried inquest was conducted in the presence of two female doctors, as ordered by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sealdah court.[4] It revealed multiple injuries over the abdomen, left leg, right hand, lips, neck, genital area and signs of strangulation.[1] Later in the evening, between 6.10 and 7.10 pm, an autopsy was conducted at the same institution under videography, and the victim’s body was taken rather hurriedly to the crematorium with a police force. It was cremated at the Panihati crematorium around midnight.[5] The body was not handed over to her parents at R. G. Kar.[6] THE AFTERMATH The murder sparked outrage among the victim’s colleagues, the medical community and the entire nation. The police then arrested a suspect, a civic volunteer who was allegedly seen in the department at the time of the crime. On 10th August, a mass of doctors and students gathered at the gate of the hospital, and the police force lathi-charged and dispersed them. The protest continued. Calls to stop elective services were announced by junior doctors at all government hospitals in West Bengal and then by doctors’ associations, Institutes of National Importance and other medical colleges nationwide. ‘At the stroke of midnight when the world slept and India awoke’ (to quote a famous saying by Jawaharlal Nehru on our first Independence Day when we were filled with idealism and hope for the future), instead on our 78th Independence Day, Kolkata along with many cities across the country awoke to demand freedom for its women and a movement, ‘Reclaim the Night’ called for a new freedom struggle for women, symbolised by a viral post of a red hand holding a crescent moon. Then, possibly organised by those responsible for the crime, a violent mob vandalised the RG Kar Medical College and hospital premises during the peaceful candle march by women with the alleged intention of destroying the crime scene with the police force standing as mere spectators, hiding behind the gates.[7] However, further protests and candlelight vigils were held by students, medical professionals, and society across India and beyond. The medical community, along with citizens of the country, while grappling with the emotional toll of losing one of their own, roared that, ‘WE WANT JUSTICE’. Since then, the investigation has been transferred from the local police to the Central Bureau for Investigation and has now been taken up suo moto by the Supreme Court. WAS IT A SIMPLE CASE OF RAPE AND MURDER OR PART OF AN ORGANISED CRIME? The following facts gave rise to speculation: This incident occurred on the 3rd floor of the main hospital building. The seminar room was located inside the department and was difficult for outsiders to access The nature of the injuries found during the inquest suggested that the perpetrator was not a single person Why were the parents of the victim told she had committed suicide? Why were the parents made to wait for 3 h before revealing the body to them? Why was there an almost 14-h delay in lodging the FIR for unnatural death? Why was there a hurried postmortem and cremation of the corpse? It was strange and suspicious that ‘renovation work’ beside the crime scene was started the next day by the order of the principal. This suggests that there might have been some attempts on the part of the administration to ‘hide or save’ the actual perpetrators and destroy significant evidence regarding the murder. It has also been reported that the principal (who first resigned, then was almost immediately, within a few hours, appointed as Principal of the Calcutta National Medical College, and has now been removed from the post),[8] has been involved in corruption, scams and syndicate rackets running in and around medical institutions all over the state.[9] He also apparently developed a group of followers among the current students, interns and house staff, who are reportedly part of his wrongdoings and alleged to have political connections. He has been transferred many times but has always managed to return to his ‘kingdom’,[10] owing to his close alliance with the ruling political party. It is also speculated that he may have been directly or indirectly involved in the crime because the victim might have encountered specific facts regarding illegal activities in the institution and hence had to face the consequences.[11] The investigations are ongoing, the truth is yet to be unfolded and justice is yet to be served. INSTITUTIONAL LAPSES AND SECURITY RG Kar Medical College is a bustling hub, with hundreds of patients, students and medical professionals moving daily through its corridors. However, the incident has brought up many questions regarding fundamental rights as well as the: State and security of women in the country Safety and security of doctors at their workspace Corrupt alliances among administrators, politicians and goons have terrible consequences. The sad demise of a poor lady doctor has also brought to light the severe lapses in security at that institution. Despite the presence of CCTV cameras and security personnel, a crime of this magnitude could be carried out within the institution’s premises, which raises critical questions about the efficacy of the security measures in place and the responsibility of the administration to protect staff and students. Moreover, the fact that the crime occurred in a supposedly secure environment highlights a broader issue of safety for women in public institutions. The general apathy towards the safety of women is a systemic problem that has been ignored for far too long. THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS This incident is not isolated; it is a grim reminder of pervasive violence against women in India. The medical profession, which is often regarded with great respect, is not immune to such acts of violence. Female doctors, nurses and medical students have previously reported incidents of harassment and assault, but the systemic changes needed to address these concerns have been slow to materialise. Incidents such as harassment being ignored many times ultimately culminated in such heinous crimes. It also highlighted the poor working conditions of junior doctors in India. Long working hours (36–48 h at a stretch), inadequate pay, bullying by seniors, a lack of designated areas for rest and a lack of clean washrooms, to name a few. It has been revealed that large portions of our very unequal healthcare system are rotten with corruption all over the country, especially in West Bengal. We, who have worked here for many years, have witnessed that merit, that is, achievements in patient care, teaching, research and societal contribution, are generally disregarded. The only thing that matters is paying undignified obeisance to politicians, bureaucrats and institutional heads. The public health sector is underfunded, understaffed and unprotected and attracts less than one-third of Indian patients. They vastly prefer, at the risk of bankrupting themselves, to go to the private sector, whose main aim is, by overinvestigation and overtreatment, to generate profits for themselves and their owners, who are generally politicians and corporate houses. THE PRESENT SITUATION AND THE WAY FORWARD On 18th August, the Supreme Court of India took suo-moto cognizance. They decreed that a national task force should be set up with eminent doctors and healthcare administrators to prepare an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and propose a dignified working environment for interns, resident and non-resident doctors. We believe that the Indian healthcare system needs radical change and the time has come to: Seriously consider establishing a universal (minimal and essential) public healthcare system in this country by increasing the health budget from 1.2% of our GDP to at least 5% (in the US, it is 17% and in Europe, 9%–11%) Stop the politician-doctor nexus and root out favouritism and corruption in appointments, transfers and hospital purchases Recognise and reward merit and only merit Strictly monitor public and private sector activities, charges and profits and encourage the establishment of not-for-profit trust-run institutions. So far, the role of politicians in healthcare systems has been appalling in our country. This is because of the politicians that we are in the present mess. In this country, we now have doctors with talent and experience, who with the encouragement and help of politicians, bureaucrats and patients, can make our healthcare among the best in the world.