The streets of Kolkata on Tuesday saw a massive protest even as the police clashed with protesters during a march to the state secretariat, Nabanna, in response to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The protest, which saw participation from various student organizations and citizen forums, quickly escalated into violence as riot police deployed teargas shells and water cannons to prevent the demonstrators from advancing toward the secretariat.
The protest, which had not received official permission, was met with heavy police resistance. Kolkata Police, anticipating unrest, had fortified Nabanna, deploying as many as 6,000 personnel to block all possible routes to the state secretariat. Drones were used to monitor the situation, while barricades were welded into the ground and greased to stop protesters from scaling them.
Despite these measures, a group of protesters gathered at College Square this morning and began marching towards Nabanna, chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the brutal rape and murder case. Visuals from the scene showed protesters shaking barricades and some even throwing stones at the police.
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The ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged that the protest was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to incite violence and create unrest in the city.
However, the organizers of the march have maintained that it was an apolitical protest, planned by student groups unaffiliated with any political party. Shubankar Halder, one of the organizers, acknowledged that he had previously been a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) but stated that he no longer had any ties to the organization.
Adding to the tension, Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that four student activists involved in organizing the protest went missing after midnight.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Suvendu Adhikari identified the missing students as Subhojit Ghosh, Pulokesh Pandit, Goutam Senapati, and Pritam Sarkar, alleging that they had been detained by the police. “We apprehend that they may have been arrested/detained by the Mamata Police. If something happens to them, Mamata Police will be held accountable,” Adhikari wrote.
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In response, Bengal police confirmed that the students had been arrested, accusing them of plotting large-scale violence during the protest and being involved in a conspiracy of murder and attempted murder.
“They have been arrested in the interest of public safety and security, and their families have been informed,” the police stated. Adhikari later announced that the families of the four students had approached the Calcutta High Court for relief.
The protest in Kolkata comes against the backdrop of widespread anger and grief over the horrific rape and murder of the doctor, which has sparked demonstrations across the country. As the situation continues to unfold, the focus remains on the escalating tensions in Bengal and the demand for justice and safety for women in the state.
