Unbelievable scenes in Kolkata! East Bengal, Mohun Bagan supporters unite; protest against RG Kar doctor’s rape-murder

Despite upset over the cancellation of the Durand Cup 2024 group stage match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, supporters of arch-rivals gathered near the stadium on Sunday to protest the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

This was one of the rare moments when over a hundred supporters of the two clubs initially gathered outside the stadium with placards and posters, but not against each other. They extended their support for protesting the alleged rape and murder medical student in Kolkata.

The football lovers who raise their teams' flags, wave it in the air and tease their opponents, were raising each other's flags and raised slogans demanding justice for the victim's family.

Soon after the East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant united, another football club – Mohammedan SC – fans joined the protests.

The protests were held under a very tight vigil by Kolkata Police which on Saturday mentioned they won't be able to provide extra security for Durand Cup 2024 group stage match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Special protesters:

All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey also reached the site a while later and met the angry fans of the three clubs.

"It is very shameful. Law and order have completely collapsed in West Bengal. A football match could not happen... and look at police deployment, it looks like a riot is going on," Chaubey, also a BJP leader, told PTI.

He added that the match could have been conducted. He said, as ANI quoted, “I myself had reached outside the stadium and several other football fans had also reached...It was for the first time that the supporters of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan were together...If half of the police that had reached there were deployed for the match, it could have been conducted...”

In a rare sight, Mohun Bagan captain Subhasish Bose on 18 August participated in the protest rally against medical student's alleged rape and murder.

Actor Usashi Chakraborty and theatre personality Sourav Palodhi were among the protesters wearing the jerseys of the clubs they support.

Protestors detained:

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police detained few of the clubs supporters for defying prohibitory orders.

With protests spilled onto the busy EM Bypass and blocked the traffic, police first chased protesters and detained others.

One of the protesters said, "We are first Indians. Before Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, we are Indians. Atrocity has happened against Indian woman. We were protesting peacefully here...But the police started a lathi charge...," says a football supporter protesting near Salt Lake stadium."

Also, some of the protesters were detained from Kadapara and Beleghata Connector crossings, as police claimed the football fans tried to block the way of the vans.

Earlier on 9 August, a postgraduate medical student of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was allegedly raped and murdered. Since then people have been protesting on Kolkata streets and seeking justice for the medical student.

With agency inputs.