Kolkata, Aug 16 (IANS): Kolkata Police, so far, have arrested a total of 19 people in connection with the ransacking of the emergency department of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital here.
According to a statement released by the city police on Friday, of the 19 arrested people, five have been identified through social media feedback.
In the statement, the city police have also requested the public to update police on other suspects behind the vandalism whose photos were released by Kolkata Police on Thursday.
“19 arrests so far in RG Kar hospital vandalism. Five of them were identified by social media feedback. If you recognise any of the suspects from our earlier posts, kindly inform us. Thank you for your support & trust,” the statement by the city police read.
With the statement, the police have also released the photographs of the five individuals whose arrests were made on the basis of feedback from social media.
Late-night vandalism on Wednesday in the emergency department, which was ransacked, included a hybrid critical care unit (HCCU), critical care unit (CCU), the ticket counter of the emergency department and a medicine storeroom.
Sources said that following the vandalism at the medicine storeroom, life-saving medicines worth a few lakhs of rupees were damaged. Even the CCTV camera installed there was also destroyed.
Meanwhile, a section of the medical students and junior doctors of the hospital, who are continuing with their protests on the ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor within the hospital premises, have claimed that the target of the vandals could have been the “scene of the crime” which was the seminar hall.
According to them, the vandalism at the emergency department might have been because the vandals thought that to be the seminar hall.
The city police have also clarified that the “scene of the crime” was totally unaffected by the act of vandalism.
The woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The police have arrested one man for the crime. The case was later transferred to the CBI on Calcutta High Court's orders.