Jitan Ram Manjhi calls for Centre to intervene in Kolkata rape-murder case

Patna: Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, on Saturday, expressed grief over the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College.

"The West Bengal government should take strict action in this case, if the state government is unable to handle the case, then the Central government should intervene in this matter," he said.

On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set a deadline of August 18 for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its investigation into the rape and murder of the junior doctor.

West Bengal CM also said that if the CBI fails to meet the deadline, the Trinamool Congress will stage protests in the national capital.

She blamed the Opposition political forces, especially the CPI-M and the BJP, for the ransacking of the emergency department of the RG Kar Medical College after midnight on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, a week after the horrific incident at the medical college.

However, the parents of the junior doctor have levelled allegations, suggesting that insiders within the hospital may be involved. They reportedly gave the CBI names of specific interns and physicians they believe are connected to the crime. These allegations have added a new dimension to the investigation, which was ordered by the Calcutta High Court.

In a significant move, the CBI conducted a crime scene reconstruction using advanced 3D technology with the arrested civic volunteer, who is one of the accused. This reconstruction took place in the seminar hall of the hospital, where the trainee doctor's body was found on August 9.

BJP's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Friday questioned the silence of the INDIA bloc members, including the West Bengal CM over the rape and murder incident. He also demanded the resignation of the West Bengal CM and said: "If Mamata Banerjee is unable to handle the state, she should resign."