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

After a lengthy meeting with the protesting doctors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday night the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal from his post, as well as the directors of health services and medical education. This decision was made in response to the demands of the protesting doctors, ending a month-long impasse following the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Banerjee stated that in light of the statewide unrest and allegations against the Kolkata Police, Goyal himself expressed willingness to step down. She said, "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, according to the Chief Minister, following the meeting held at her residence with the protesting doctors to resolve the crisis.

Who is Kolkata CP Vineet Goyal?
Vineet Goyal succeeded Soumen Mitra as the police commissioner of Kolkata in December 2021. A senior IPS officer and a 1994-batch officer, Vineet Goyal is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur. Throughout his career, Goyal has held 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 has been awarded the police medal for gallantry twice, the police medal for meritorious service, and the chief minister’s medal for outstanding service. His work in the police department has always been commended within the government.

Allegations Against Goyal
Following the rape and murder of the medic at the state-run health facility, protesting doctors demanded Goyal's resignation 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 and tampered with evidence of the crime.

On August 15, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal stated that rumors and misleading information spread through social media campaigns had discouraged public trust in the police. This remark came a day after police clashed with a mob at RG Kar Hospital. Goyal maintained that the police had performed their duty to the best of their ability 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 anticipate 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 had 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.