Calcutta’s new police chief, Manoj Verma, went to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday, less than 48 hours after taking charge.

Verma went straight to the emergency building, which houses on the third floor the seminar hall of the chest medicine department where the 31-year-old junior doctor was found raped and murdered on August 9.

Flanked by several senior officers, Verma visited the police outpost that was ransacked on the intervening night of August 14 and 15 by a frenzied mob and had a word with the CISF personnel who are deployed at the medical college and hospital.

“The police commissioner assured the college principal and the hospital superintendent to call for any help they needed from Kolkata Police,” said a senior officer.

Verma also promised all help to the CISF team posted there.

“The commanding officer of the CISF was asked to inform us if the force required any support from Kolkata Police,” said an officer accompanying the police commissioner.

The police and CISF personnel formed a cordon to make way for Verma’s car through the main gate.

The police chief entered the emergency building, walking through a door-frame metal detector that had been installed, officers present said.

Verma’s maiden RG Kar visit was preceded by a trip to three police stations in the city’s north — Cossipore, Sinthee and Tala.

Former officer-in-charge (OC) of Tala police station Abhijit Mondal is in CBI custody. Malay Kumar Dutta, the additional officer-in-charge of Shyampukur police station, has taken additional charge of the Tala police station.

While meeting the OCs of the three police stations, Verma sought details of the law and order challenges in their respective jurisdictions and the availability of forces to tackle any situation.

“The police commissioner asked the OCs to immediately inform senior officers at the headquarters in Lalbazar in the event of any emergency related to law and order,” the officer said.

“He instructed the OCs to communicate clearly with their bosses, including the division deputy commissioner of police.”

Sources said Verma asked officers of Cossipore police station to ensure adequate security measures were in place at the North Suburban Hospital, an annexe hospital of RG Kar hospital, during the meeting.

He instructed officers to check whether the CCTVs were functional, talk to the hospital administration and identify infrastructural lapses before addressing them.

“Officers of Cossipore police station were told to ensure the security system at the hospital was tight and if required, that they should talk to PWD and the hospital administration and address issues about washrooms and duty rooms for doctors at the North Suburban Hospital,” the officer said.

Among several things, Verma wanted to know the number of pujas that were being organised under the jurisdiction of each of the three police stations and the preparations that were being put in place, sources said.

Puja meeting

Verma will meet the deputy commissioners of police of each of the 10 divisions of Kolkata Police along with assistant commissioners and officers-in-charge of all the police stations on September 25 to take stock of the preparation ahead of Durga Puja.

The meeting is scheduled at 6pm at the Dhano Dhannyo auditorium in Alipore, where representatives from other agencies, including fire and emergency services, PWD, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and CESC will be present, sources said.