A single-judge vacation Bench of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday put an interim stay on the decision of the authorities of R G Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata to suspend 51 doctors attached to the hospital, who were accused of “threat culture” within the hospital premises.

The single-judge Bench of Vacation Bench of Justice Chanda also observed that only the state government can make the final decision about the suspension of these doctors.

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He said that the resolution passed by the R G Kar authorities on 5 October suspending 51 doctors will not be effective.

After the R G Kar authorities suspended these 51 doctors, some of them approached the Calcutta High Court claiming that the suspension order was passed without giving them a chance to present their arguments in front of the probe committee. They also alleged that they were suspended on flimsy grounds.

The matter of suspension of these doctors also came up during the crucial meeting on Monday between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and junior doctors protesting against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R G Kar within the hospital premises in August this year.

A point of argument between the chief minister and the junior doctors’ delegates surfaced at the meeting after the chief minister questioned how the R G Kar authorities unilaterally suspended these doctors accused of “threat culture” without the concurrence of the state health department.

“How could the principal of R G Kar suspend 47 doctors unilaterally? Did he feel the need to inform the state government of the matter? Is this also not a kind of ‘threat culture’? No one should be suspended without proper investigation. No one should act according to his or her whims,” the chief minister said.

Aniket Mahato, a face of the movement who represents R G Kar in the delegation immediately had countered the chief minister’s statements.

“The disciplinary committee suspended these doctors after a proper and thorough investigation. They were not suspended out of personal vendetta. Those who were suspended were notorious criminals,” Mahato said.