Newly appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner visits RG Kar hospital

KOLKATA: Newly-appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma on Thursday visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on August 9, sparking nationwide protests and prompting junior doctors of West Bengal to launch 'cease work'. Accompanied by Dipak Sarkar, who has replaced Abhishek Gupta as Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division), Verma stayed at the hospital premises for over 30 minutes where he visited the scene of crime on the second floor of the Emergency block and met hospital authorities at the administrative building of the state-run tertiary healthcare facility.

Verma's visit to the hospital followed his meeting with officers at three neighbourhood police stations, namely Cossipore police station, Sinthi PS and Tala PS. RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is under the jurisdiction of Tala police station.

The CP spoke to Moloy Dutta, the officer in charge of Shyampukur police station who is currently holding additional charge of Tala police station after its former OC Abhijit Mondal was arrested by the CBI on grounds of destruction of evidence during the initial days of the postgraduate trainee doctor's rape and murder probe and was, subsequently, suspended by the government.

The CP is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Kolkata Police's top brass at the force's headquarters at Lalbazar later in the day where he is expected to address issues of law and order that are likely to prevail in the days ahead in the context of the ongoing RG Kar protests and management of the upcoming Durga Puja festival.

Verma replaced Vineet Goyal as Kolkata Police Commissioner on Tuesday in the wake of an agreement reached between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the protesting junior doctors.