Face of RG Kar movement approaches Calcutta HC against transfer to lower rank

Kolkata, April 8 (IANS) Senior doctor Subarna Goswami, who became the face of the movement against the R. G. Kar rape and murder tragedy, has approached the Calcutta High Court against the decision of the West Bengal Health Department to transfer him to lower rank in Darjeeling.

Last month, the state Health Department issued an order transferring Goswami as Superintendent of Darjeeling TB Hospital from his earlier position of Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health (DCMOH)-II of East Burdwan district.

Then, Goswami explained why his transfer was vindictive.

"First of all, this new posting is a rank lower than my previous post. Moreover, the hospital where I am being posted in Darjeeling does not have any scope for work. Hardly do patients get admitted there. This is the eighth time I have been transferred during the current Trinamool Congress regime. Again, out of these eight transfers, five had been in the same rank," Goswami said.

Although Goswami has already joined his new place of posting, he has now approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the transfer order.

Goswami's transfer order divided the medical fraternity in the state. Two associations of medical practitioners namely Joint Platform of Doctors and West Bengal Doctors' Front, who had been mainly spearheading the movement on the R.G. Kar rape and murder, came forward to express their solidarity with Goswami and described his transfer as a "vindictive" action on the part of the state administration.

However, two other associations, Progressive Health Association and West Bengal Junior Doctors Association, reportedly floated by doctors close to the ruling Trinamool Congress, came forward in defence of the state Health Department and described the transfer as a routine one.

Goswami and Kunal Sarkar, two reputed senior doctors from the state who became faces of the R.G. Kar movement, were last year summoned to the office of the-then Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal and questioned reportedly for their statements questioning the role of the city police which carried out the initial investigation on the rape and murder before the charge of the investigation was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

--IANS

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