Kolkata, August 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Ahead of the second anniversary of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the victim’s mother Ratna Debnath has decided to withdraw from public life for seven days to mourn her daughter’s death.
Debnath, who is now a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from the Panihati Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, announced her decision through a social media post on Sunday night.
In her Bengali message, she said she would remain unavailable for personal reasons and would not attend any political or social engagements during the period. She added that official work at her public office would continue.
“I am seeking time for seven days from everyone for personal reasons. I will not be able to contact anyone by phone or in person for the next seven days. I will also not attend any political or social event. Official work will continue at my public office. I hope you will kindly forgive my absence for these few days,” she wrote.
Since entering electoral politics and winning the Panihati seat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Debnath has frequently spoken about the grief and trauma caused by her daughter’s death.
The young doctor’s body was recovered from a seminar hall inside the hospital premises on August 9, 2024. Investigators found that she had allegedly been raped and murdered the previous night while on duty, triggering widespread protests across West Bengal and several other parts of the country.
The investigation was initially conducted by the Kolkata Police before being transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following directions from the court.
Former Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjay Roy remains the only person convicted in the case and is serving a life imprisonment sentence.
The CBI has recently initiated a fresh investigation under a new officer after the Calcutta High Court directed the agency to re-examine certain aspects of the probe, keeping the case under continued public scrutiny.
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