Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced late Monday night that Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goel will be removed from his position. The decision came after a six-hour-long meeting with protesting doctors from Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, who have been agitating following the tragic rape and death of a trainee doctor.
The protests, which have garnered significant attention, led to the removal of not only the Police Commissioner but also the Deputy Commissioner (North) of Kolkata Police, Abhishek Gupta, against whom bribery allegations had been raised by the victim’s family. Both officials will be replaced, with new appointments expected imminently, Banerjee said. The new Commissioner is expected to take over from Vineet Goel by 4 pm today.
During the meeting with junior doctors, the Chief Minister confirmed that Vineet Goel had expressed his willingness to resign, and in light of the doctors’ demands, it was agreed that Goel would step down. “We have accepted three out of the four demands raised by the doctors,” Banerjee stated, noting that a decision regarding the new Deputy Commissioner would also be finalised soon.
The Chief Minister further assured that the safety of doctors would be a priority moving forward. Additionally, Banerjee said the government had already initiated a CBI inquiry into the matter, one of the key demands of the protesting doctors.
VIDEO | Kolkata rape-murder case: “They had four demands…first one was that they had mentioned three names including health secretary. We have decided to remove DME (Director of Medical Education) and DHS (Director of Health Services) as per their demands. They also demanded to… pic.twitter.com/9kRhjyDgFE
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Apart from these police changes, the Chief Minister announced that the Director of Medical Education, Kaustav Naik, and the Director of Health Services, Debasish Halder, would also be removed from their posts. She called on the protesting doctors to resume their duties, assuring them that no coercive action would be taken against them for their demonstrations.
In an effort to address the broader issues within the healthcare system, Banerjee also revealed the formation of a committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to review and improve the infrastructure of the health sector.
The swift response from the government is seen as an attempt to restore order in the wake of the tragic incident and protests, while also addressing the concerns of the medical community regarding safety and accountability.
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