Equipment damaged, stones pelted at police: Inside the violence at RG Kar hospital

Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital witnessed violence last night when doctors and nurses were holding a peaceful protest against the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor there. A violent mob reportedly carried out attacks on the ground floor of the emergency building at the hospital after midnight on Thursday (August 15).

The attack came as India saw nationwide protests against the brutal rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor last week. ‘Reclaim the Night’ demonstrations, driven by social media, were held in several cities including Kolkata, calling for women’s safety.

The police have arrested nine people for the vandalism at the hospital.

Here’s what we know about the violence at RG Kar Medical College.

Mob vandalises RG Kar hospital

The violent mob stormed the RG Kar hospital and ransacked the rooms on the ground floor of the emergency building with sticks and hammers, as per an Indian Express report.

The Kolkata Police has reportedly said a group of about 40 people, allegedly posing as protesters, barged into the hospital premises, vandalised property and pelted stones at cops.

In response, the police had to fire tear gas to disperse the mob, as per PTI.

The mob toppled barricades, damaged gates and a few two-wheelers and overturned a Kolkata Police post vehicle, reported ThePrint. The iron gates inside the emergency building were destroyed, and desktop computers, laptops, lights, and fans were broken across rooms.

On the ground floor, the cardiology emergency section, the admissions room, the tele-neuro medicine room, the nurses’ room, the medical officers room, and the emergency wards exhibited signs of vandalism on Thursday morning. The mob also went to the storeroom and broke open safes containing medicines. The ENT department was also ransacked, according to Indian Express.

Beds and IV drips were upended, while chairs for patients and bathrooms were also not spared.

A senior officer who received an SOS told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity, “I have been in this force for 28 years, but I have not seen anything like this. The mob was tearing wires to snap the electricity with their bare hands, they had rods and swords and came charging towards the police. There were patients undergoing treatment and the force saved them on priority. The police cannot carry lathis inside a hospital where students are present. The force picked up walking sticks, banner poles to counter the crowd.”

As per the police, the unidentified “miscreants” did not reach the fourth floor of the emergency building where the doctor’s body was found in a seminar hall. “Scene of crime is Seminar Room which is intact and has not been touched. Don’t spread fake news. We will take legal action,” the Kolkata Police wrote on X.

Some police officers sustained injuries in the attack on RG Kar. “We have an adequate number of personnel posted outside the hospital, and they have been instructed to tackle the situation accordingly,” a senior Kolkata Police officer told PTI.

ALSO READ: Kolkata rape-murder: Was the trainee doctor gang-raped at RG Kar Medical College?

Eyewitnesses’ accounts

Those present at RG Kar have opened up about the violent rampage at the hospital.

Speaking to ANI, Pronoy Das, a security guard at the hospital who was on duty last night, said, “Around 1 am last night, about 500-1,000 people came here. We locked the gate, but they broke it down. We went to another gate, but they broke down that too. There were too many, we were 10-12 people and the Police. So we were no match. They barged in and vandalised the property. They have damaged everything, from computers to medicines. They damaged even the CCTV cameras.”

Protesters who were holding peaceful demonstrations at the hospital over the tragic rape and murder case have alleged the police failed to protect them.

“We were attacked at around midnight. The police ran faster than us. The goons beat some of us and ransacked the area. We are terrorised. They tried to break us, but our spirit to protest is still intact,” a protesting doctor told Indian Express.

Reactions to the violence

The violence and vandalism in Kolkata’s RG Kar have prompted reactions from the police and politicians.

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose visited the hospital on Thursday afternoon. “I am with you and we will work together to solve this. I assure you justice. My ears and eyes are open,” he told the medical students.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has condemned the vandalism and called for an emergency meeting with its state branches to decide the future course of action. It also slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the violence, holding it “directly responsible for this collapse of public order”, as per ANI.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged the mob consisted of “TMC goons” who were given a “safe passage” by the police.

“Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and Hospital…They were given safe passage by the Police, who either ran away or looked the other way so that these lumpens would enter the hospital premises and destroy areas containing crucial evidence so that it doesn’t get picked up by the CBI,” he wrote on X.

TMC general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee said he spoke to Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and urged him to “ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliations”.

He said the doctors’ demands are “fair and justified”, adding that their “safety and security must be prioritised”.

The Kolkata Police Commissioner on Thursday defended the force which is under immense pressure since the heinous rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar. Blaming the “malicious media campaign” for last night’s violence, he said, “What happened here is because of the wrong media campaign, which has been a malicious media campaign … as far as Kolkata Police are concerned. What has the Kolkata Police not done? It has done everything in this case. In 40 minutes 18 rooms were vandalised. The crime scene, however, remains intact. CCTV cameras were broken.”

Goyal said he was “extremely angry” about the rumours being spread about the tragic crime. “I am extremely angry… We have not done anything wrong… Because of this malicious media campaign, people have lost trust in Kolkata police,” he said, as per Indian Express.

With inputs from agencies