Kolkata Police Issues Prohibitory Orders Around R G Kar Hospital Amid Protests Over Doctor's Rape And Murder—All About It

Amid protests against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor, Kolkata Police have implemented a seven-day ban on gatherings near R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The enforcement of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (which replaces Section 144 of the CrPC), around the hospital is effective from today (18 August).

The Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Vineet Kumar Goyal, issued an order on Saturday prohibiting any form of rallies, meetings, processions, dharnas, demonstrations, or unlawful assemblies of five or more person in the specified area of Kolkata.

"...In exercise of the power conferred by Sub-Section (1) of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, read with Sub-Section (3) of the said Section, I, Vineet Kumar Goyal, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, being an Executive Magistrate for the Metropolitan area of Kolkata as well as the district of South 24 Parganas (within the limits of the suburbs of Kolkata falling under Kolkata police jurisdiction), do hereby prohibit, for a period of seven (7) days from 18.08.2024 to 24.08.2024, or until further notice, any unlawful assembly of five (5) or more persons, carrying of lathis, any lethal or other dangerous weapons, or the commission of any act likely to cause a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity within the specified area in the town of Kolkata," the order stated, as reported by ANI.

The decision to impose the ban was made "in regard to inputs and information received from credible sources, indicating sufficient reasons for violent demonstrations, rallies, and meetings by a section of the public or an organisation, thereby causing a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity, health or safety, danger to human life, and obstruction to doctors, nursing staff, medical staff, and lawfully employed persons in the said area," the order stated.

The alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor on 9 August at RG Kar Medical College have sparked nationwide protests by the medical fraternity and others.

On Wednesday, a mob vandalised the protest site and hospital premises at R G Kar, prompting security personnel to intervene and disperse the agitated crowd.

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