'Accepted 99% demands': Mamata removes Kolkata top cop, 2 health officials; doctors yet to call off strike

The doctors, who have been on a statewide "cease work" for 38 days, are protesting the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College, an incident that has paralysed the state's healthcare services.

In a late-night address following high-stakes talks with protesting junior doctors on September 16, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a series of high-profile transfers and removals, aiming to resolve the ongoing healthcare crisis. Among those removed are two senior health officials and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, as well as a deputy commissioner of police.

Banerjee announced that the new Kolkata Police Commissioner would be named after 4 pm on September 17, following the ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis stemming from protests by junior doctors.

During a late-night press briefing after meeting with the agitating doctors at her residence, Banerjee confirmed the transfer of current Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and Deputy Commissioner of the North Division, Abhishek Gupta. She explained that Goyal had expressed his desire to step down, citing the loss of trust from the doctors. "He had requested a transfer to another position, and we have accommodated his request," Banerjee said, signaling her government's intention to meet the doctors' demands and restore public trust.

The doctors, who have been on a statewide "cease work" for 38 days, are protesting the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College, an incident that has paralysed the state's healthcare services. During the meeting with the agitating doctors, held at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, she agreed to transfer the Director of Medical Education (DME) and the Director of Health Services (DHS), in addition to senior police officers. A new police commissioner for Kolkata will be named after a Supreme Court suo moto cognisance hearing on the RG Kar case, scheduled for September 17.

Banerjee also agreed to most of the five-point charter of demands presented by the junior doctors. This includes Rs 100 crore in funding to improve hospital infrastructure and the creation of a special task force for enhancing hospital security. She appealed to the doctors to return to work, highlighting that the government had accepted "99 percent" of their demands.

"No punitive action will be taken against the doctors… I would request them to rejoin work as common people are suffering," she remarked.

Addressing the removal of two senior health officials—the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services—Ms. Banerjee clarified that they would be transferred to appropriate positions.

"We are not dishonouring them. They haven’t been in their posts for long and have done nothing wrong. However, since the students expressed a lack of trust in them, we have accepted their removal," Banerjee stated.

The doctors, however, expressed reservations, stating they will continue their protests until the transfers are fully implemented and their other concerns, such as corruption and safety in hospitals, are addressed.

Dr. Aniket Mahato, one of the protest leaders, noted that while progress had been made, verbal assurances on deeper issues, such as hospital syndicates and corruption, were not enough.

"We would like to inform everyone that, as our protests are ongoing at Swasthya Bhavan, we will discuss with our fellow college students, nursing students, and all others actively involved in the protests. Based on those discussions, we will decide our future course of action—whether to continue the protests or not. We have already informed the Chief Minister of this," he said.

Celebrations broke out at the protest site in front of Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters, following the chief minister's announcement. However, the doctors reiterated their stance, saying their movement would continue until the promises made by the government materialised.

Earlier attempts to resolve the deadlock, including a failed meeting at the chief minister's residence, had stalled due to disagreements over live-streaming the discussions. The breakthrough came after the government agreed to the doctors' compromise request to have the minutes of the meeting recorded and signed by both parties.

Meanwhile, acclaimed lawyer Indira Jaising will represent the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) during the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for September 17. On September 9, the apex court had instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a fresh status report on its investigation by September 17. The three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, also urged the protesting doctors to resume work by 5 pm on September 10. This request followed a suggestion from senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who proposed that the court consider potential proceedings against the doctors if they did not comply.

The protests began after the shocking rape and murder of a young doctor on August 9 and have since become a focal point for demands for justice and broader healthcare reforms. The agitating doctors are demanding punishment for those involved in the crime, along with reforms to eliminate the culture of fear and corruption in government hospitals. Despite some progress, the doctors insist their fight will continue until "concrete action" is taken.