Abhaya Manch locks CGO complex gate with brooms in protest over RG Kar murder probe delay

Nearly a year after the rape and murder of a young woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, only one civic volunteer has been arrested in the case so far. The remaining accused are still absconding. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe, had initially claimed that crucial evidence related to the incident had been destroyed from the hospital premises. Several doctors’ names had surfaced during the early stages of the investigation, but no concrete evidence has been presented against them to date.

On Friday, the group ‘Abhaya Manch’ held a protest against the delay in the investigation. Around 4:20 pm, members of the group began a rally from the road adjacent to Indira Bhavan. Carrying symbolic brooms and lock-and-key props, they marched to the CGO Complex in Salt Lake, which houses the CBI’s regional office. Once there, they hung symbolic locks on the main gate of the complex and threw the brooms on the ground as part of their protest.

The protest was aimed at demanding faster action in the case and answers regarding the slow pace of investigation. Abhaya Manch has raised questions over the CBI's handling of the case and the lack of arrests apart from the lone civic volunteer. The group has stated that the demonstration was symbolic, highlighting the continued absence of accountability and the need for conclusive results in the ongoing probe.