The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal has established a legal cell dedicated to assisting women protesters facing police harassment during demonstrations against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.
Mohd Salim, a member of the CPI(M) politburo and the party’s Secretary in West Bengal, reported receiving numerous complaints from women protesters about police intimidation. Many women have faced harassment for participating in ongoing protests and “reclaim the night” programs that continue more than a month after the incident.
Salim stated, “There are complaints that many women protesters are being harassed by police for participating in the protests. Some of them are unnecessarily summoned to local police stations. The police and local Trinamool Congress supporters are threatening them.”
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To address these concerns, the newly formed legal cell will consist entirely of women advocates. Salim advised, “If any woman protester is unnecessarily summoned to the police station, she should contact any member of the legal cell instead of going alone.”
In related news, Salim called for custodial interrogation of Trinamool Congress legislator Nirmal Ghosh, who represents the Panihati Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district. Ghosh recently underwent extensive questioning by officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Notably, Ghosh’s constituency is also where the victim’s ancestral home is located.
Ghosh accompanied the victim’s family to the hospital on August 9 when her body was discovered in a seminar hall on the RG Kar campus. He was also present at the cremation of the victim.
After leaving the CBI office on Monday evening, Ghosh emphasized his role as a responsible public representative, stating that he was with the victim’s parents during their time of need.
