RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Who Is Vineet Goyal & Why Doctors Demanded His Removal From Kolkata CP Post

After an extensive meeting with the agitating doctors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday night announced the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal from his post, the director of health services and the director of medical education.

Banerjee made the announcement, giving it to the demand of the protesting doctors, to end more than a month-long impasse over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

The Bengal CM noted that in the wake of the statewide stir and allegations against the Kolkata Police, the Goyal himself wanted to step down. “Given the demand of junior doctors, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal has said in the meeting that he is ready to resign.”

The name of the new Kolkata police commissioner will be announced after 4 pm on Tuesday, the Chief Minister told the media after the meeting held at her residence with the agitating doctors to resolve the crisis.

Who Is Kolkata CP Vineet Goyal?

Succeeding Soumen Mitra as the police commissioner of Kolkata, senior IPS officer Vineet Goyal Kolkata took over the top cop responsibility in December 2021. A 1994-batch officer, Vineet Goyal is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur.

During his career, Goyal has served in various positions within the ranks of the Kolkata Police, including deputy commissioner of police for the eastern suburban division, special branch, and headquarters. He has also served as joint commissioner of police for the Special Task Force and Traffic, as well as additional commissioner of police.

Goyal was awarded the police medal for gallantry twice, the police medal for meritorious service and the chief minister’s medal for outstanding service. Within the government, his work in the police department has always been commended.

Know The Allegations Against Goyal

Following the rape and murder of the medic at the state-run health facility, the protesting doctors demanded the resignation of Goyal from the Kolkata CP post. He faced sharp criticism for the handling of the August 14 vandalism at the RG Kar Hospital during a protest march by the junior doctors. He was accused of mismanaging the situation where a mob allegedly stormed the hospital, allegedly for tampering with the evidence of crime.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said on August 15 that rumours and misleading facts spreading through social media campaigns have discouraged public trust in the police. The remark came a day after police clashed with the mob at RG Kar Hospital.

He maintained his stand that the police has performed their duty at the level-best in handling the rape and murder case of the young medic which triggered a strike by the junior doctors of the state-run medical facilities.

Goyal admitted that despite “sufficient security presence”, the police did not expect the protesting crowd to turn violent outside RG Kar Hospital premises in the early hours of August 15, and were initially caught off-guard when a deputy commissioner-ranked officer got injured.

He added that Kolkata Police has handed over all evidence, including videographed post-mortem to the CBI, which is investigating the case upon orders of the Calcutta High Court. “We are not shielding anyone, and police tried to be as transparent as possible in our probe. We have handed over all evidence related to the case to the CBI. Have faith in the central probe agency,” he said.