Kolkata rape-murder case: The West Bengal government has appointed Manoj Kumar Verma as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, replacing Vineet Goyal. This significant change comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with protesting doctors to address their demands regarding the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. In response to the medics demands, Banerjee also removed two other senior officials from their positions.Vineet Goyal, who previously held the position of Police Commissioner, has now been appointed as the ADG & IGP of the Special Task Force (STF) in West Bengal.Protests over doctors deathThe doctors have been staging protests since August 10, demanding justice for the trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered. Their agitation led to a tense standoff with the state government, which culminated in the removal of several senior officials. The protests intensified following the mishandling of a protest march at RG Kar Hospital on August 14, where Vineet Goyal was accused of mismanaging the situation.Mr Manoj Verma is the new CP of Kolkata Police. Manoj Verma was the ADG law and order and now he replaces Mr Vineet Goyal pic.twitter.com/0iaqDNbdQA— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) September 17, 2024After weeks of failed attempts to resolve the crisis, Mamata Banerjee held a crucial meeting with the doctors at her Kalighat residence on Monday. The doctors had insisted on live-telecasting the meeting, which delayed negotiations. However, after the in-person discussion, the state government agreed to most of the doctors demands, including Goyals removal.West Bengal | Current DME Dr Kaustav Nayak transferred to the post of Director, Institute of Health and Family Welfare. Appointment of new DME to be made subsequently. pic.twitter.com/8SikOsfhDF— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2024Key transfers and appointmentsIn addition to Goyals transfer, north Kolkata Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Gupta was also removed from his position and reassigned as the Commanding Officer of the Eastern Frontier Rifles, 2nd Battalion. Dr. Kaustav Nayak, the former Director of Medical Education (DME), has been appointed as the Director of the Institute of Health and Family Welfare, while Debashish Haldar has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Public Health at Swasthya Bhawan.These decisions were formalized in a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department on Tuesday. The agreement was signed by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and countersigned by a delegation of 42 doctors who attended the meeting.Mamata Banerjees statementsAfter the meeting, Banerjee announced that Vineet Goyal had requested to step down, citing the loss of trust from the doctors. We have accommodated his request and transferred him to a post of his choice, Banerjee said. She also confirmed that Goyal would hand over his responsibilities to Manoj Verma after 4 pm on Tuesday, following a scheduled Supreme Court hearing.Banerjee emphasized that no punitive action would be taken against the protesting doctors, as the government had agreed to nearly all of their demands. We have done our best, considering the suffering of the common people. Now, I appeal to the doctors to return to work, she added.The Bengal CM has also set up a special task force led by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to oversee hospital safety measures moving forward.
