The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took charge of security at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday.

CISF personnel posted in the hospital said they had been directed only to “assist” Kolkata Police in managing the hospital’s security and not to replace them.

A senior CISF officer echoed the jawans on the ground.

“Please let me clarify. Our brief is to assist Kolkata Police and not to replace them. We have also been briefed to ensure there is no violence or law and order problem on the hospital premises,” he said.

Senior Kolkata Police officers said the modalities of the division of work were yet to be ascertained.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the deployment of the CISF at RG Kar
in the wake of a junior doc-tor’s rape and murder on August 9 and a mob ram-
page there on the intervening night of August 14 and 15.

In all, 151 CISF personnel, including an assistant commandant, have been posted at the hospital.

Several resident doctors had written to the police — complaints that were presented before the Supreme Court — that they were feeling insecure in the hostels and that a majority of them had left the premises fearing attack.

On Thursday, as the central forces marched in, many wondered if it would change the entry-exit system of the hospital.

The central forces, however, said they would not control access at the gates.

“Is it possible to do access control at a government hospital? There are so many patients and their families. If we start controlling their entry-exit they may feel harassed. We will not do anything of that sort. Rather, our whole focus would be to ensure there is no violence,” said a CISF officer.

The police kiosk at the hospital operated like any other day.

Metro toured the hospital campus and checked if security at the hostels had been beefed up after the CISF took over. There was no visible introduction of registers or identity cards for the residents till Thursday evening.

After the violence at the hospital, a large contingent comprising an officer of the rank of deputy commissioner and two assistant commissioners, eight inspectors, 16 sub-inspectors and 16 assistant sub-inspectors and around 90 men and lady constables
of the Kolkata Police have been posted at the hospital in shifts.

There is a police outpost in the hospital compound, which has an officer-in-charge and an additional officer-in-charge.

Police sources said they were sharing information with the central forces to help them assess the situation in the compound.

“We are ready to provide them with any assistance. They are new here and soon we will jointly review the deployment blueprint,” said a Kolkata Police officer.