RG Kar horror: Calcutta HC gives nod to intellectuals’ body for holding protest march

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted permission to 'Cultural & Literary Bengal', an association of intellectuals in the state, to take out a protest march on September 3 condemning the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

The association had approached the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha after being denied police permission for the proposed protest march.

As the matter came up for hearing on Friday, the counsel for the petitioners argued that although the association submitted an application to the office of the Joint Commissioner (Traffic) of Kolkata Police for holding the protest march on September 3 from Rabindra Sadan to Hazra crossing in south Kolkata, they did not receive any reply in the matter from the police.

The counsel also questioned the justification for denying permission to a protest march by the intellections and that too on an issue like the R.G. Kar case when even the Supreme Court has said that peaceful protests in the matter cannot be stopped or suppressed.

In his counter argument, the counsel for the state government said that since the timing of the protest clashes with the end of office hours, the police denied permission for the march.

He also said that police permission can be granted if the timing of the proposed march is changed, .

After hearing both sides, Justice Sinha questioned the state government's counsel whether all the protests on the R.G. Kar issue can be restricted because of their timing.

Granting permission for conducting the protest march, Justice Sinha noted that it would be the responsibility of the state police to ensure that the event is held peacefully and without any hurdles.

However, at the same time, she advised the association to discuss with the city police authorities about the timing of the programme.