Kolkata doctor death case: Tuesday's proposed Nabanna Abhijan Rally is illegal, attempt to incite unrest, says West Bengal ADGP
Times of India | 26 August 2024
West Bengal ADGP Manoj Kumar Verma (left) NEW DELHI: West Bengal ADG Police (Law & Order) Manoj Kumar Verma has declared the Nabanna Abhijan Rally scheduled for August 27 as illegal, stating it is an attempt to incite widespread unrest in Kolkata. He emphasised that Nabanna is a restricted area, and no organization has applied for permission to hold a protest near the State Secretariat. Verma highlighted specific intelligence inputs indicating potential unrest and reassured that measures would be taken to ensure that neither exam aspirants nor the general public are inconvenienced.
"Nabanna is a restricted area.If any programme is organised here then the organisers should put a request to the police officials and the police will decide after considering the case. So far, no organisation has applied to hold a protest near Nabanna. This is a restricted zone and if anyone needs to organise a protest then they first need to apply for permission from the police...We have very specific inputs that some miscreants might try to create a situation of unrest there (near Nabanna). Tomorrow, an exam is being conducted by NTA, we will ensure that neither aspirants nor the general public are inconvenienced," he said.
Verma urged the public not to fall into any traps and advised them to avoid the area. Additional Deputy General, South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar noted that the rally is being organized under the name "West Bengal Students' Society," an entity whose existence is not officially recognized. The rally is suspected to obstruct the UGC NET exam scheduled for the same day.
"In the name of West Bengal Students' Society, a Nabanna Abhijan' rally was called. We have never heard any existence of any name of West Bengal Students' Association. Many committees exist but there is no organisation in this name. Tomorrow there is the UGC NET exam. Such a rally could obstruct the conduct of the exam. One of the organisers met with a political leader yesterday in a 5-star hotel," explained Sarkar.
He added that there are concerns about potential sabotage during the rally, with reports indicating that women and children might be placed in front as shields while unrest is incited from behind.
"There are reports that women and children would be kept in front and unrest would be created from the back so that there is violence and police are forced to use force. We are trying to find out the vested interests in it. In social media lot of provoking videos are circulating. The safety of the common man is our priority. The organisers have not followed any guidelines. The details were not provided such as how many people would be present and from where they would come as prescribed by the High Court," Sarkar elaborated.
Sarkar reiterated that peaceful protests are allowed in various designated areas of Kolkata over incidents like the one at RG Kar Medical College, but Nabanna remains a restricted area. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC) is in force there.
"Here Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC) is in place. But no information has been given. This is illegal. SC had allowed peaceful protests but the court has not injuncted the state from exercising such lawful powers as entrusted in terms of law," he said.
The backdrop of this situation is the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor on the premises of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which has sparked nationwide outrage. Multiple protests demanding justice for the victim have been staged since the incident.
Earlier, CBI officials conducted a polygraph test on Sanjay Roy, the arrested accused in the rape and murder of the female trainee doctor in Kolkata. The incident has notably led to significant public outcry and demands for justice.
In a related development, Parimal Dey, a teacher from Alipurduar in West Bengal and a recipient of the Banga Ratna award in 2019, has decided to return the award in protest of the state government's handling of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case. The trainee doctor was discovered dead in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9.