As many as 40 medical students and trainee doctors from the College of Medicine and JNM Hospital, Kalyani, Nadia, have been suspended for six months over complaints inc connection to intimidating and threatening their peers.

As per the official document, this decision was taken on Thursday, September 19, during a meeting of the Extended College Council.

"Based on a large number of prima facie evidence, depositions by individual students and digital evidence, the Extended College Council decided to expel the following students from the hostel, hospital and college campus for a period of six months at least (pending further investigations into to the allegations against them) starting from today," the minutes of the meeting said.

The council has also unanimously decided to dissolve the Students' Welfare Committee till further notice or a democratically elected student body is formed. Additionally, all the class representatives (CRs) have been removed from their respective posts with immediate effect.

The temporary selection of new CRs will be done by the principal and dean of student affairs in consultation with students of the respective year.

The 40 students have been barred from contesting any student body election in future.

“The prevailing threat culture in College of Medicine & JNM Hospital, Kalyani must stop and should not be repeated ever again,” the official notice said.

This comes at a time when junior doctors in Kolkata have been protesting against the rape and murder of a female postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, urging the government for significant changes in the state’s healthcare and medical education sector.

To recall, one of the major demands of the agitating doctor was to address the prevalent ‘threat culture’ in medical colleges and hospitals.