Two organisations of professors on Friday condemned the arrest of nine students for demonstrating near a Durga Puja pandal in Calcutta, seeking justice over the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In separate statements, the Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) and All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) appealed to the people of the state to extend their support to the arrested students, and the junior doctors who are on fast unto death in protest "against the rot in the healthcare system".

The nine students, many of them from Jadavpur University, were arrested near Tridhara Sammilani's Durga Puja pandal in south Calcuttaon Wednesday evening for distributing leaflets and raising slogans, seeking justice for the deceased RG Kar doctor.

"We strongly condemn the arrest of our dear students who were peacefully protesting and seeking justice. They only wanted a fair probe into the rape and murder of the doctor and arrests of all involved. They had every right to demonstrate," JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy said.

"We are on the side of the students," he added.

Condemning the arrests, ABUTA general secretary Goutam Maity urged the state government to immediately act to fulfil the "just demands" of the junior doctors who are on fast unto death.

The nine students were sent to police custody by a court on Thursday. Police claimed they were members of a pro-Naxal outfit.

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