As the rape-murder case at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital continues to hit national headlines, posts made by West Bengal Police from its official handle on social media platform X are attracting criticism. The post made by the department on Friday (August 16) show a badly injured woman police officer bleeding profusely thorough cuts and wounds on her face.
The department identifies the woman official as Constable Shampa Pramanik who it says was injured during the violence that erupted near the hospital on the night of August 14.
“Wasn’t the night Shampa’s too?…” asks the post before adding, “…It was meant to be a night for women, when they reclaimed the streets demanding safety at the workplace, in memory of a young woman who fell victim to a horrifying tragedy at her own workplace…”
In a series of posts, West Bengal Police said that Shampa was on duty in Baguihati area during the march taken out in support of the post-graduate trainee doctor who was found dead at RG Kar hospital. The thread describes that several bricks were hurled at Shampa and one hit her on her face.
The posts made by West Bengal Police
The post hasn’t been received well by users on X. While everyone has wished for Shampa’s full recovery, the timing of publishing of this photo hasn’t gone down well with people especially in the light of anger among doctors and even the general populace over the rape-murder case. The department has also been accused of playing the ‘victim card’ when it was responsible for safety of people as well as its own officers.
“…why resort to playing the victim? The police were responsible for safeguarding both the protesters and their own officers. It failed at both. Women are demanding safety, and it is your obligation to ensure that. Instead, you play the victim and lay bare your incompetence so poetically,” wrote an X user.
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Another user asked why wasn’t Shampa given a helmet and other protective gear. A woman social media user said by posting the image of injured Shampa, the police department was exposing its own ineptness.
“Yes, the night was Shampa’s too. So, YOU not only miserably failed at helping the young lady doctor get some semblance of Justice, you also pathetically failed at protecting your own cop, Shampa. Basically you are documenting your own inefficiency for the world to see,” the user said.
