The RG Kar Horror: When The "Safest City" Stood In Silence

A year ago, on this day, the rape and murder of a young doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata had exposed the worst fears of the women working night shifts in the city known to be the safest among metros. The horror that played out over the previous night at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in a bustling northern neighbourhood, triggered a series of protests and calls for justice - unknown to the city's younger generations. A year later, the lone convict - a civic police volunteer - had already been imprisoned for life. But the doctor's parents aren't convinced. Their fight for justice continues.

RG Kar: Then And Now

RG Kar Hospital is a key landmark in the City of Joy. Surrounded by busy roads, chatters of college goers and honking buses, the hospital caters to a huge population residing in the city's north as well as from across West Bengal. Days aren't much different than the nights here, as is the case with such big hospitals. A few shops would stay open even at midnight, especially near the emergency ward, to cater to the relatives of those waiting the hospital overnight. Tea-points dotted the hospital gates, selling midnight snacks.

The scene remains almost same, perhaps even more crowded. One stark difference is a massive police presence, including women cops, in the hospital complex. Personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) - tasked with the hospital's security in the wake of the 2024 rape-murder - are present too.

The Case That Haunts Kolkata

The 31-year-old doctor was working night shift on August. Next morning, her body was found in the seminar room, sparking massive protests and a probe - first by the Kolkata Police and later by the CBI. Local media referred to her as "Abhaya" on the lines of the 2012 Delhi rape case trial in which the victim was named 'Nirbhaya'.

Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer who worked on contract basis with the city police, was arrested on August 10. A local court sentenced him to life imprisonment in January. The Bengal government had gone to the Calcutta High Court seeking death penalty for the convict, but it was rejected.

Is Kolkata Still Safe?

Kolkata has topped the safety charts over the years, but critics say that such data is based purely on the reporting of such offences.

The city had recorded the least number of cognisable offences per lakh population among all metro cities in 2022, shows data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Kolkata with 86.5 such cases per lakh population was followed by Pune (280.7) and Hyderabad (299.2), according to the data.

But the RG Kar incident put a big question on whether the city should still flaunt its "safest" tag. Nearly a year later, the rape of a student at a city law college again sparked protests in the city, and an alumnus and three others were arrested for the crime.

This has provided the opposition BJP fresh ammunition to target the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government.

"If West Bengal was truly safe, Bengal's women wouldn't be raped every day. Dr Abhaya, our sister, would still be alive," said Amit Malviya, BJP's media cell chief. Slamming the government for trying to the suppress the protests that followed, he said, "Instead of showing compassion, Mamata Banerjee's police rolled out guard rails, water cannons - all to stop ordinary citizens. Afraid of the people she claims to protect?"