Tensions escalated in Kolkata and Howrah as protests over the August 9 rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital led to violent clashes between protesters and police. The confrontations resulted in significant injuries and the arrest of 245 protesters after a planned march to Nabanna, the Bengal secretariat, was met with stiff resistance from law enforcement.
RG Kar Hospital Protests
The protests, which began peacefully, turned chaotic around 1 pm, as demonstrators encountered multiple police barricades at key locations including Howrah Bridge-MG Road and Hastings-Prinsep Ghat. The situation deteriorated rapidly, with protesters using stones, iron rods, and bamboo poles against the police, who retaliated with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Violence was particularly intense at locations such as Foreshore Road-Mandirtala and Howrah Maidan-Mullick Fatak. At Mullick Fatak, a circle inspector was severely injured and required medical attention for head wounds. Police vehicles and equipment were damaged across the city, with at least one vehicle being set on fire.
In response to the unrest, the Kolkata Police registered 11 FIRs and circulated images of 21 individuals they identified as instigators, seeking help from the public to locate them. The police action aimed to quell the violence and restore order, with senior officials emphasizing the restraint shown by officers under attack. Later in the day, political responses emerged as the BJP organized a march demanding justice and the release of those detained, accusing the police of committing atrocities against protesters. The police, however, maintained that their actions were necessary to prevent greater chaos and ensure public safety.
This violent outburst is part of ongoing unrest in Kolkata, highlighting the community’s outrage and demand for justice in the wake of the horrific crime at RG Kar Hospital.