Rallies are expected to begin at 1 pm on Tuesday. Special arrangements have been made at College Square as police got intelligence inputs of a large number of people gathering there.
Nabanna turns into fortress for protest: 3-layer security, drones, central forces
Nabanna, the West Bengal Secretariat, has been turned into a fortress over a planned protest march called by students, who are demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation over her government's handling of the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital.
There may be two large processions in Kolkata over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
6,000 Kolkata Police personnel deployed for 'Nabanna Abhijan' protest
Three-layer security at Nabanna, barricades installed
Protest called by student outfit demands Mamata Banerjee's resignation
More than 6,000 Kolkata Police personnel have been deployed in the city on Tuesday in the wake of a planned protest march to Nabanna, the West Bengal secretariat in Howrah, by a student outfit to demand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation amid huge outrage over the rape-murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The area around Nabanna has been turned into a fortress with three-layered security by Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police in place for the 'Nabanna Abhijan' called by Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj. Barricades have been installed at 19 points, while five aluminium barricades have been erected at other key points.
Apart from Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police, combat forces, Heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) and water cannons have been deployed to tackle any possible chaos during the protest.
An Additional Commissioner of Police-rank officer is in charge of maintaining law and order. Officers in the ranks of Joint CP and DCP will be in charge at various points, including Howrah Bridge, Hastings and Hooghly Bridge.
Additional forces from different districts have already been brought to Kolkata. The police are focusing on key points like Hastings, Shibpur Road, Howrah Bridge and Howrah Maidan.
The Kolkata Police has emailed the organiser of 'Nabanna Abhijan', seeking details on how many people would be present at the rally, names of leaders who would lead the protest march, how many rallies would be held and the route of the protest. However, the police have not received any response from the student outfit so far, reports 'India Today'.
Earlier on Monday, the West Bengal Police said on Monday that the protest was "illegal" and they did not receive any permission for holding such a march towards Nabanna. The police cited intelligence inputs over possible chaos and violence and conspiracy against the police personnel during the protest.
According to an intelligence report, two huge rallies will be organised from College Square in Kolkata and Santragachi in Howrah.
Special arrangements have been made at College Square as police got intelligence inputs of a large number of people gathering there.
The distance from College Square to Nabanna is 10 kilometres and the other rally from Santragachi in Howrah to Nabanna is around three kilometres.
'CHIEF MINISTER INCOMPETENT'
The rally will be organised by Prabir Das, an MA student from Rabindra Bharati University, Subhankar Halder, MA BEd of Kalyani University and Sayan Lahiri of Rabindra Mukta University. The students claimed they were apolitical and demanded the resignation of Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking to the media, Lahiri asserted that the protest began with a Facebook post that stated that the Chief Minister was "incompetent". He said the protest had three goals.
"We have three demands -- justice for Abhaya, capital punishment for the culprit, and Mamata Banerjee’s resignation because she is not just the health minister but also handles the state police," Lahiri said.
Interestingly, the protesting junior doctors who are leading the movement seeking justice for the trainee doctor, whose semi-naked body was found at the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital on August 9, have distanced themselves from tomorrow's call for 'Nabanna Abhijan'.
Instead, they have called for a separate rally in Central Kolkata on Wednesday.
On August 9, the body of the trainee doctor, a second-year postgraduate student, was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital. An autopsy later confirmed that the victim, who was a postgraduate second-year student, was raped and murdered.
Sanjoy Roy, a civil volunteer associated with Kolkata Police, was arrested the next day in connection with the incident and is in judicial custody. The CBI, which is probing the rape-murder case, conducted a polygraph test on Roy on Sunday.
Several protests have been held in Kolkata and elsewhere across the country, demanding action against the culprits in the case and justice for the victim. The protesters, including nurses and resident doctors, are demanding strict laws to deal with rape and murder.
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