A promising trainee doctor from Kolkata was raped and murdered at RG Medical College. She was the only daughter of a tailor. Her mother and father are inconsolable. They struggled all their lives to educate their daughter. Now she was going to be their support in their old age, but everything was destroyed.
Kolkata: Parents, friends, and teachers have only one word for her: warrior. The 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital had dreamed of winning a gold medal. Her tailor father worked day and night to educate his daughter. The daughter also left no stone unturned in her studies. The family struggled throughout her life. The daughter travelled from Kolkata’s densely populated suburb, Sodepur, to RG Kar. Now it was the daughter’s turn to repay the family’s debt, but she left this world without making her parents’ lives better.
The 67-year-old father of the woman doctor said, ‘We are a poor family, and we raised her with a lot of difficulties. She worked very hard to become a doctor. All our dreams were shattered overnight. Like all Bengali families, her family was also eagerly waiting for Durga Puja in October, which had a special meaning as their daughter had started organizing puja at home in 2021.
Preparations were on for Durga Puja at home
Maa said that this was the third year of Puja at our house, and she had planned to organize a big Puja this time. It was a special occasion, as she had completed her PG studies. She said that now, we want all the culprits to be arrested and given strict punishment. Only this can give peace to her soul.
Ditched engineering, and opted for medical
Everyone in the family knew her as a role model for her good academic scores and soft-spoken demeanour. A relative said, ‘She cleared both JEE and medical. She opted for MBBS and qualified for the course at two government medical colleges. Finally, she chose JNM Medical College Hospital in Kalyani. When she decided to pursue a PG, she qualified at two medical colleges and chose RG Kar (which is about an hour away by bus from her Sodepur home).’
Always a bright student
She was a studious child. She had scored 90% in Madhyamik (Class 10 state board) and 89% in Higher Secondary. The doctor’s mother (62) said she was their only daughter. Their life revolved around her. “She was everything for us,” she said.
recently bought a new car
The woman doctor’s neighbour, Sanjeev Mukherjee, said that the trainee doctor wanted to give a lot of happiness to her parents. Her tailor’s father was also very happy. He had recently got his house repaired and bought a car. The family was recovering from poverty.
loved animals and plants
Another neighbour, Kakoli Ghosh, said that she loved animals very much. She used to take care of stray animals and would feed and rescue them. She was also very fond of gardening. Whenever she came home on leave, some of us would consult her on medical issues, and she would help immediately.
spent time serving patients
From a batch of MBBS students who had witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic while learning their work, she had chosen respiratory therapy as her specialization. She called RRG Kar her second home. She had immersed herself in treating patients. Working long hours and being busy with studies, she did not even get time to sleep.