Kolkata Top Cop, Health Officials Removed After Mamata Banerjee-Doctors Meet

Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee, after meeting with the protesting junior doctors, has announced that she had agreed to three of the five demands of the protesting doctors -- the removal of two top officials of the health department and the Chief of Kolkata police.  Along with it, the police chief of the city's north zone – where RG Kar Medical College, the hospital where the rape-murder of a young doctor took place, is located -- will also be removed.  The formal orders will be issued tomorrow.

"I think the meeting was positive. Am sure they think too," she said. "Or why else we will sign the minutes of the meeting and they would sign it too?" she added.

"We have accepted more of their demands, because they are young. I know they say they will go and discuss and then will decide on lifting the ceasework. But I have requested them to do so, citing the condition of patients, especially in view of the floods in some of the districts," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister's announcement took place close to midnight, after a two-hour meeting with the protesting doctors and another 2.5 hours to type out the minutes of the meeting.

The announcement is seen as a capitulation of sorts. The Chief Minister had earlier said that city police chief Vineet Goyal would be retained for at least the Durga puja.

The demand for his removal came in view of allegations about the police role in evidence tampering after the rape-murder of August 9. This was commented on multiple times by the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court.

Last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation or the CBI, which is investigating the case, has arrested the hospital's former Principal Sandip Ghosh and a senior officer of the local police.

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