Two of the three junior doctors who have alleged vindictive postings by the state government for their leading role in the RG Kar protests last year, approached the high court on Friday, challenging the decision.

Asfakulla Naiya, who was a postgraduate trainee of ENT at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Debashis Halder, who was a first-year senior resident at Medical College Kolkata, during last year’s protests following the rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar hospital, were allowed to file the petitions.

The two sought permission from the vacation bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee. The bench allowed them to file the pleas and listed the matter on June 5.

Naiya has finished his training and is waiting to join as a first-year senior resident. Halder is waiting to join as a second-year senior resident.

“Naiya and I wanted to file the petitions, and the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front decided that we should file them,” Halder told The Telegraph on Friday. The Front spearheaded last year’s protests.

Aniket Mahata, the third doctor who has made the same allegation, did not file a petition.

Junior doctors said it was a strategy of the Front that two of them would join duty and the third would not.

“After we went to Swasthya Bhavan (the state health department headquarters) on Wednesday, many said we wanted to avoid going to the districts or rural areas. Naiya and I are joining duty to counter this. But we moved court because the state’s action is illegal and vindictive,” said Halder.

“Naiya and I will join our places of posting within the specified deadline.”

He said Mahata’s decision not to join work was because they were pre-empting further criticism that they joined duty fearing action against them. “Aniket will not join. He will also not take any stipend,” said Halder.

A doctor, after obtaining the postgraduate degree, has to serve three years as a senior resident — one in a medical college and two in a district, sub-divisional or rural
hospital.

A merit list was prepared for each speciality based on performance in the final-year exam. After that, the health department published a vacancy list for each speciality, mentioning the vacancies in the hospitals and medical colleges. Then, counselling was held where, based on rank in the merit list, each doctor chose the hospital of their choice, said a junior doctor.

Mahata had picked RG Kar but has been posted at Raigunj Government Medical College and Hospital. “I have not moved court as advised by lawyers,” he said on Friday.

Naiya chose Prafulla Chandra Sen Government Medical College in Arambagh, but has been sent to Deben Mahato Government Medical College and Hospital in Purulia.

Halder chose Howrah district hospital but has been posted at Gazole Rural Hospital.