RG Kar tragedy: Face of junior doctors' protest moves Calcutta HC over police summons

Kolkata, Jan 20 (IANS) Asfakullah Naiya, one of the leading faces of the junior doctors’ movement against the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court challenging summons from the Bidhannagar City Police.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Trithankar Ghosh has admitted the petition and the matter will come up for hearing this week.

Incidentally, Naiya’s petition at the Calcutta High Court comes on the same day when a special court in Kolkata is scheduled to pronounce the sentence against the sole convict in the rape and murder, Sanjay Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata.

Earlier on January 16, Naiya was slapped with a show-cause notice by the West Bengal Medical Council based on a complaint against him for working as an ENT specialist at a private medical service provider in the state, despite not possessing the necessary qualification for the same.

On the same day, the Bidhannagar City Police issued summons to him in the same case and a team of cops also reached his residence at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district.

However, when the cops reached his residence Naiya was at the hostel of R.G. Kar, where he is currently undergoing his post-graduation with specialisation in ENT.

Naiya has claimed that he is being harassed by the state and police administration because he actively participated in the protests over the rape and murder of the lady junior doctor.

Meanwhile, Naiya has also received support in the matter from civil society and the common people.

Now, finally on Monday, he approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the police summons.

The body of the lady doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of R.G. Kar on the morning of August 9 last year.

What followed was a series of protests by the representatives of the medical fraternity in the state and common people where Naiya was seen to be a leading face.