The Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD), an organisation of senior doctors, has filed a petition at the high court challenging Kolkata Police’s decision to not allow a sit-in at the Dorina crossing, members of the organisation and the counsel representing them said on Tuesday.

The petition will be heard in the court of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, the members said.

The JPD wants to hold the sit-in to press for two demands. One of the demands is that the CBI submit a supplementary chargesheet against former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh and former Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mandal in connection with the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the medical college on August 9.

The other demand is that the state government allow the prosecution of Ghosh and former RG Kar house staff Ashis Pandey in a case related to alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Kolkata Police informed the JPD on Monday that it could not allow a sit-in at the busy Dorina crossing. The platform had written to the commissioner of the city police on Sunday seeking permission to set up a dais at the intersection for the sit-in from December 17 to 26.

“We have filed a writ petition in the high court. We have challenged Kolkata Police’s decision to deny us permission to protest. They denied us the basic right to protest,” said JPD member Tamonas Chaudhuri.

“Kolkata Police cited the possibility of traffic disruption because of the protests. They said the protests would inconvenience those celebrating the week leading to Christmas and New Year. But many who will not join the celebrations could have come to the protest site.”

JPD members said CPM’s Rajya Sabha member Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya will argue for them in the court.

“We have challenged Kolkata Police’s decision and their conduct of not allowing anti-government protests. The police have cited possible traffic disruption because of the sit-in. Why do they allow (Trinamool’s) July 21 rally, which blocks the entire Esplanade area?” said Samim Ahmed, the counsel for the JPD, who is part of Bhattacharyya’steam.

The police had in its email to the JPD on Monday said “there is every possibility of traffic congestion and inconvenience to general public at large because of the said programme.”

Chaudhuri said the JPD’s petition mentioned that they wanted to hold the protest from December 17 to 26. “If the court gives us permission, we will start the sit-in on Wednesday,” said Chaudhuri.