In a bid to simply respond to the shocking rape and murder of a trainee doctor, the team from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata received a visit from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Wednesday. The visit aims to assess and improve the security setup at the state-run facility, where the authorities found the victim’s body in the seminar hall. The gruesome crime at the state-run facility has sparked countrywide protests and unrest.

The team, led by a senior CISF officer, moved to the hospital first thing in the morning to examine the existing security setup on the ground and liaise with local police and hospital authorities. The recent order has booked the deployment of CISF personnel at the hospital following the failure to ensure normal functioning and security for the medical staff within the hospital premises, coupled with the resultant chaos at the center.

‘On August 15, a violent mob trespassed into the hospital premises and created vandalism in the emergency department, nursing station, medicine store, and CCTV cameras.’ The Supreme Court rebuked the state government for failing to handle the vandalism properly and emphasized the need for strong and capable state machinery to manage law and order during the ongoing investigation into the crime.

Immediately after the violence, the Bengal police took into custody a civic volunteer in connection with the case. The Kolkata Police also initiated disciplinary action and suspended three police officers, including two assistant police commissioners regarding the incident of vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The violence that took place during the midnight protests of women all over West Bengal has raised sensitivity and government-induced accountability workouts.

The matter is so serious that the Supreme Court had to intervene because there is an urgent need for effective security and law enforcement responses for big-ticket cases. Investigative efforts are on to bring justice to the victim and restore confidence among people that healthcare institutions are safe. Further developments are expected as authorities continue to address the fallout from this tragic incident.