Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS): The deadline set by the Supreme Court on Monday for the protesting junior doctors in West Bengal to join duty by 5 P.M. on Tuesday has expired and they are continuing with their demonstration.

The doctors are protesting against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Instead of rejoining duty the protesting doctors have continued their indefinite sit-in- demonstration in front of Swastha Bhavan, the state health department headquarter at Salt Lake.

On Monday a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court observed that unless the junior doctors return to duty by 5 P.M. on Tuesday, the apex court would be unable to intervene if the West Bengal government initiates any proceedings against them in the matter.

Echoing the observation of the apex court, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too, earlier in the day issued an appeal to the junior doctors to rejoin duty.

However, the junior doctors who had announced their decision to continue with the protests on Monday night itself, marched to the state health department headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

The junior doctors, who were accompanied by their seniors, medical students and representatives from the nursing fraternity, were stopped near the entrance of the building.

Unable to march forward, they began their dharna right there on the street and the protest was continuing till the time of filing of the report.

The fresh demands of the protesting representatives of the medical fraternity include suspension of the state health secretary, state director of health services and director of medical education.

State health department sources said that although a message was sent from the office of the state health secretary to the demonstrating doctors to send a small delegation to his office to discuss the demands, the latter rejected the proposal and insisted that the health department officials come to the demonstration spot for discussions.

However, the protesting junior doctors denied receiving any communication from the state health department.