Members of the Joint Action Forum, comprising resident doctors and students of the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH), on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the principal, alleging that its authorities filed a false report at Calcutta High Court.

The protests came after Calcutta High Court halted the decision to suspend seven persons, including five students, from the NBMCH on Tuesday. They had been suspended for their alleged role in fostering “threat culture”.

Protester Shahriar Alam said that in the report filed by the authorities at the high court, it was wrongly stated that no inquiry committee was formed and no probe was conducted into the charges.

“Such statements misrepresented the actual proceedings. The fact of the matter is that a committee was constituted on September 4, 2024, and a thorough three-day investigation was carried out before the College Council decided to suspend the perpetrators. These actions adhered to the guidelines of the National Medical Commission,” he said.

The forum also expressed its disappointment with the state government, more specifically the role of the government lawyer defending this case in court.

Hiranmoy Roy, a final-year student, said: “We view the government’s defence as a move that will perpetuate the culture of intimidation within medical colleges. This stance not only disregards the College Council’s unanimous decision (to hold the seven guilty of perpetuating a culture of intimidation at the NBMCH) but also compromises the safety of students.”

The forum stressed that such actions undermined the autonomy of medical colleges and contradicted ongoing efforts to ensure a secure and disciplined learning environment.

This development highlights ongoing tensions between medical institutions and state authorities regarding accountability and autonomy in addressing “threat culture”, a term that gained currency in the RG Kar movement.

Many medical students across Bengal, not just in Calcutta, alleged that certain elements on campuses close to the ruling party fostered a culture of intimidation.

In their memo to principal Indrajit Saha, the forum demanded that facts be accurately represented in the affidavit given by the NBMCH to the high court.

“We believe defending perpetrators of ragging sends a wrong signal and can escalate it in educational institutions. College authorities should present real facts before the high court,” said a forum member.

Contacted, Saha said: “I will see the memorandum.”

Located at Susrutanagar on the outskirts of Siliguri, the NBMCH is the largest state-run medical college and referral hospital in north Bengal.