Mamata writes to PM again, protests continue in Kolkata

Kolkata: The cease-work agitation by junior doctors in West Bengal government-owned hospitals entered its 22nd day on Friday and services in Outdoor Patent Departments remained paralysed even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a stringent Central law and fixed time-frame for trial in rape and murder cases.

A series of protest marches were taken out on Friday and more were planned for later in the day by political parties, including Trinamool students’ wing and BJP’s women’s wing, and civil society while doctors continued their agitation to seek justice in the alleged rape and murder of their 31-year-old lady colleague.

The doctors are mounting pressure on the Central Bureau of Investigation to deliver results after it took over the probe into the August 9 murder at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital a fortnight ago, official sources said

In a letter dated August 29, which was shared by Banerjee on X, she said, “I would reiterate and earnestly request to kindly consider a stringent Central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes of rape/rape and murder with mandatory provision for disposal of cases in a specific time-frame by the trial authorities.”

She had written her first letter to the PM on August 22.

RG Hospital’s ousted principal Sandip Ghosh, one of the suspected accused in the crime, once again appeared before the federal agency officials

on Friday, the 15th day in a row.

Hundreds of parents of the school students on Friday marched silently in the city seeking justice for the medic and ensuring safe environment for the young generation and the elderly.