The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed a rally to be held in the metropolis by the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) on October 1 to protest the rape-murder of a trainee medic at RG Kar hospital.
Disposing of a petition by the JPD, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed that a peaceful rally be held between 5 pm and 8 pm from College Square in north Kolkata to Rabindra Sadan in the south, via Central Avenue and Esplanade.
Though the police authorities had asked for curtailment of the number of participants and length of the route, the court did not order any such restriction.
It directed the authorities, under the supervision of joint commissioner of police (headquarters) of the Kolkata Police, to make necessary arrangements for security with adequate personnel so as to ensure that the rally can move peacefully.
Justice Bharadwaj also asked the organisers of the rally to provide sufficient number of volunteers to control their supporters, and ensure that it is held peacefully.
The medics’ platform, an umbrella organisation of the Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal, had made a representation before the Kolkata police commissioner for permission to take out the protest rally from College Square to Rabindra Sadan from 5 pm to 8 pm with around 50,000 participants.
The joint commissioner (headquarters) of Kolkata Police had informed the applicants that they were allowed to hold the proposed programme with only 1,000 participants and sufficient number of volunteers from College Square to Rani Rashmoni Avenue at Esplanade.
The JPD subsequently moved the high court, challenging the restrictions imposed on the procession, arguing that since the general public were joining such protest rallies out of their own volition, a limitation on the number of participants cannot be enforced.
Opposing the prayer of the petitioner, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that the state has adequate power to restrict and regulate rallies, dharnas and demonstrations.
Justice Bharadwaj noted that the Supreme Court, while hearing the RG Kar rape-murder case, has held that peaceful protests should not be disturbed or disrupted, and the state will not take any precipitate action against those who are peacefully protesting against the incident.
The body of the postgraduate trainee was found with severe injuries in the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
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