The Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) ended its sit-in protest on the RG Kar issue at Esplanade on Tuesday.

JPD members, who had earlier spoken about extending their sit-in beyond December 31, said they would intensify their protests and have plans to take the movement to Delhi.

The protest in the Metro Channel, the stretch of Chowringee Road opposite Metro cinema, began on December 20. The protest deadline was extended once by Calcutta High Court.

“We did not seek another extension because we found that despite continuing the sit-in for 10 days, the state government was completely indifferent to our demands. We will now intensify our protests and force the government to act,” said Tamonas Chaudhuri, a JPD member.

Punyabrata Goon, another JPD member, said they have plans to take the protests to New Delhi, but when and how have not been decided yet.

Chaudhuri said the sit-in was hamstrung by the high court’s restriction on the strength of the gathering. “We could not ask more people to come as it would have violated the court’s order. The curb impacted the spontaneity of the protests,” Chaudhuri said.

The JPD has three demands:

• The CBI must submit a supplementary chargesheet against former RG Kar 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 hospital on August 9.
• The state government must allow the prosecution of Ghosh and former RG Kar house staff Ashis Pandey in a case related to alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar.
• Those involved in an alleged larger conspiracy behind the rape and murder be brought within the purview of the probe.

Kolkata Police had initially denied permission for the sit-in when the JPD sought their consent in mid-December. The JPD then petitioned the high court, which gave the nod but added that the size of the gathering could not exceed 250. The court also announced a curb on the size of the area that could be cordoned off because of the sit-in.

The court later said no more than 100 people could gather at the protest site.

The police turned down the JPD’s request for permission to extend the deadline of the protest citing the high court’s order that the sit-in could continue till December 26. The platform then approached the high court and got an extension.