RG Kar tragedy: Third round of talks with police fails, junior doctors adamant on continuing sit-in (Lead)

Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) The third round of discussions on Monday between the top officials of Kolkata Police and protesting junior doctors and medical students demanding the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal over the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital have failed, as the protesters were adamant on continuing their sit-in demonstration at Central Avenue here unless their demands are fulfilled.

A senior official in the rank of an Additional Commissioner of Police, accompanied by a Deputy Commissioner, came to the demonstration spot at around 7.30 p.m. and requested the protesting representatives of the medical fraternity to call off their sit-in demonstration.

However, the protesting doctors clearly told them that they would not withdraw their agitation unless any of their two demands was fulfilled. They wanted either the police should allow the procession to reach a certain point near the Kolkata Police headquarters so that a small delegation could go and submit their memorandum regarding the resignation of the Police Commissioner or the Police Commissioner himself comes to that place to accept the memorandum himself.

“We are ready to continue with our demonstration for an indefinite period. As junior doctors, we are habituated to doing our duties at a stretch for 24 to 36 hours. So, we will continue with our protests for an indefinite period even without water and food,” said one of the organizers of the protest march.

Earlier, the protest march started from College Square in north Kolkata and started proceeding towards the city police headquarters. However, they were stopped by the police at Central Avenue with a high barricade erected there. The protesters immediately decided to go for a sit-in demonstration at the spot itself. The sit-in demonstration has been continuing for hours now.

–IANS

src/vd