Indian doctor’s rape-murder threatens veteran politician Mamata Banerjee’s grip on power

“The protests that are happening over the case are unprecedented in nature. Pressure appears to be growing to ease her out of power as lawlessness has crept in all over the state,” said Kingshuk Nag, an independent author and political commentator.

The Kolkata case is now beginning to resemble the infamous Nirbhaya case of December 2012, which involved the gang rape and fatal assault of a physiotherapy intern. The incident triggered massive nationwide protests, eventually bringing down the ruling national coalition led by the Congress Party.

Banerjee is the leader of the All India Trinamool Congress Party (AITC), which controls the government in West Bengal, whose capital is Kolkata. The AITC has been one of the chief opponents of the national ruling BJP.

On Tuesday, India’s top court criticised the AITC-led government for its sloppy approach over the August 9 incident. In an observation, the court said “it appears [the] crime was detected in the early hours, [and the] medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide”.

Sandip Ghosh, who recently resigned as the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the crime occurred, was initially reassigned to another college after the incident, inviting public scrutiny. Ghosh has previously faced corruption allegations.

The conduct of authorities also raised suspicions after a mob entered the college premises around midnight on August 14 and vandalised the scene of the crime, raising questions whether it was orchestrated or an expression of outrage by protesters.

The apex court also called out authorities for an hours-long delay in the police registering an official complaint, which is an essential part of conducting investigations.

“Mamata did not act immediately