Kolkata, March 20 : Senior doctor Subarna Goswami, who became a face of the movement by the medical fraternity against the R.G. Kar rape and murder tragedy in August last year, has been transferred to Darjeeling - and in a lower ranked-post.

Goswami been transferred to a post which is one rank lower than his existing rank. As per the notification issued by the state Health & Family Welfare Department, Goswami, who is currently the deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH)-II of East Burdwan district has been transferred as the Superintendent of Darjeeling TB Hospital.

Giving his reactions to the development, Goswami said that although as a government servant, he has to accept any transfer, from the nature of the transfer, it is evident that it was a vindictive move.

'My next posting is a rank lower than my current post. Moreover, the hospital where I am being posted in Darjeeling does not have any scope for work. Hardly do patients get admitted there. This is the eighth time I have been transferred during the current Trinamool Congress regime. Again out of these eight transfers, five had been in the same rank," he said.

At the same time, he added, through this transfer, the state administration would not be able to break his morale to continue with the movement on the RG Kar issue.

'My fight will continue. Not just me but also others who were at the forefront of the movement on the R.G. Kar issue are being targeted. I have been questioned by police when the movement was at its peak. I am not scared,' Goswami said.

Goswami and Kunal Sarkar, the two highly reputed senior doctors from the state, were summoned to the Kolkata Police headquarters last year when the movement was at its peak and questioned by the then city Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal.

Dr Utpal Banerjee from the Joint Platform of Doctors said that they believe that this transfer is an expression of extreme vendetta and hence the forum strongly condemns it and demands the immediate cancellation of this order.

/IANS