On October 22, the Calcutta High Court (HC) kept in abeyance the suspension of 57 medical students from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The special college council members had passed a resolution suspending the students over an allegation that they were involved in the threat culture at the college, PTI reported.
The students suspended on October 5 claim that they were arbitrarily suspended from the institution. To recall, an on-duty postgraduate trainee doctor, Abhaya (name changed), was raped and murdered inside RG Kar on August 9, which triggered the outrage.
Ever since then, the state doctors have been protesting, urging the government to eradicate threat culture as students are subjected to intimidation by influential persons. Additionally, they have been demanding justice for Abhaya and workplace security.
HC order
Hearing the challenge to the suspension of the 57 medical students, Justice Kausik Chanda observed that there is no scope to implement any of the resolutions as adopted by the Special College Council members of RG Kar on October 5. Further, he directed that the resolution will not be given any effect until and unless a decision is made by the state government in accordance with the law.
The petitioners claimed that the special college council members lacked the authority to suspend or expel the petitioners. The respondent medical college authorities stated that the suspension order of 57 medical students from RG Kar is a mere recommendation and that it has forwarded the same to the government for further action.
Notably, during the meeting between junior doctors and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on October 21, the CM expressed angst that the council suspended medical students without her permission.
