Failure of state machinery: Calcutta HC on lack of security during mob violence at Kolkata hospital
‘If 7,000 people were to gather, it would be hard to believe that the state police did not know,’ the bench remarked.
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The Calcutta High Court on Friday criticised the inability of security measures to stop the violence that broke out at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday, reported Live Law.
Persons who had gathered to protest the rape and murder of the junior doctor were assaulted by a mob of 5,000 to 7,000 persons that broke into and vandalised the premises. The court noted the “absolute failure of state machinery” to prevent the attack.
The mob allegedly attacked demonstrators, including doctors, and also damaged police cars. Twelve persons were detained on Thursday for vandalism.
The 31-year-old junior doctor and postgraduate student was found dead in the seminar hall of the college on August 9. The incident led to widespread protests across the country.
On Friday, a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya was hearing a batch of petitions concerning the rape and murder case.
The West Bengal government told the High Court that security arrangements were in place at the medical college, but police personnel had been overwhelmed by the mob.
In response, the bench noted that the police had an intelligence wing. “If 7,000 people were to gather, it would be hard to believe that the state police did not know,” the court said. “You pass Section 144 CrPC orders for any...
