Bengal Hospitals Observe Silence for RG Kar Victim, Announce New Probe

Two years after the assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, government health institutions across West Bengal observed a two-minute silence on Sunday, August 9, 2026, in her memory. The tribute, held at 11 a.m., came as the state government announced a new departmental investigation into the case, even as the victim's family and medical community continue to demand a broader probe into the circumstances of the crime.

The silence was observed at all establishments under the West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department, following a directive issued on August 8. Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff participated, with paramilitary personnel at RG Kar also joining the tribute. State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay and senior officials observed the silence at Swasthya Bhavan, the department's headquarters in Salt Lake. The initiative aimed to honor the memory of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee, whose body was discovered in a seminar room at the hospital on August 9, 2024, an event that triggered nationwide protests and a prolonged doctors' movement.

A day before the anniversary, Minister Mukhopadhyay...