Kolkata rape-murder: Victim's parents to join RG Kar protest on eve of SC hearing
Times of India | 4 September 2024
KOLKATA: Hours before the Supreme Court hears the rape-murder case on Sep 5, the victim's family will be with the protesting doctors at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital on Wednesday.
The deceased PGT doctor's parents told reporters that they wanted to be with the protesting students who - like their own child - have been fighting for justice. "We want to go to RG Kar.My daughter worked and died there. We wish to be with the protesting doctors at that place," the victim's father said.
The protesting students said the parents' decision will motivate them to continue with their fight. "All these days we have stood by the family and we will continue to stand by them till our Didi gets justice. Though they have not been a part of the agitation, they have always supported us in our movement. We welcome her parents to our campus. In fact, their presence will motivate us in our fight. We are grateful that they will be coming despite the pain they are going through," said a junior doctor in the chest department of RG Kar Medical College.
Over the last three weeks, the junior doctors visited the parents on several occasions to give them mental support and also apprised them of their movement for justice.
On Wednesday, a six-member special police team will be deputed at the protest site to ensure safety for the victim's family. This will be addition to deployment of extra forces around Shyambazar, keeping in mind the vandalism that took place at RG Kar on Aug 14.
"We had previously expressed our readiness to join the movement led by the students and the doctors. These students are like our own children, and our family members will participate in the protest at RG Kar until justice is served," the father said.
Referring to the Lalbazar Abhijan by the junior doctors, he added: "We always stand with those who are protesting on the streets. We have seen how they were on the streets through the night demanding justice. They could finally meet the police commissioner. I think it was their moral victory." The father, however, did not speak on the CP resignation demand. "That is not for us to speak on. This is an administrative matter, of which we know nothing."
On Sandip Ghosh's arrest, the victim's mother said: "He (Ghosh) has been arrested on a corruption charge which has nothing to do with the death of our daughter. We want to see the CBI make some progress in the case of our daughter." The victim's father added: "Our daughter was a victim of this corruption racket. But we need to see some real progress on why and how our daughter was killed."
On the Aparajita Bill, the victim's father said: "We have nothing much to say. We would only want the workplaces to be safer so that such incidents never happen in the first place."