A day after the Kolkata Police cancelled the highly anticipated Derby Match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal FC — citing a shortage of manpower and concerns about potential disturbances due to ongoing protests over the doctor’s rape and murder — more than 10,000 supporters from the three clubs took to the street of Kolkata to demand justice.

This unity was unprecedented, as for years, the fans of Mohun Bagan Club, East Bengal Club, and Mohammedan Sporting Club have been fierce rivals in Kolkata’s football scene.

These three century-old giants, whose supporters have a long history of street clashes and even fatalities due to their intense rivalries, found common ground in their shared call for justice for the slain doctor.

The fans, defying prohibitory orders under Section 163 (formerly Section 144, CrPC) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, gathered at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium to voice their outrage over the brutal crime.

The victim’s semi-nude body had been found inside the hospital on the morning of August 9. Dramatic scenes unfolded in front of the stadium, where police struggled to disperse the football fans, resorting to lathi charges as the supporters chanted, “Lobster and Hilsa unite at the death of our own sister.”

The chant symbolised the unlikely unity between Mohun Bagan supporters (represented by Lobster, associated with western Bengal) and East Bengal supporters (represented by Hilsa, symbolising those who migrated from East Bengal), highlighting the cultural divide that the tragedy bridged.

Mohun Bagan, known as the National Club of India, was founded on August 15, 1889. Mohammedan Sporting Club followed in 1891, and East Bengal Club was established in 1920.

The football fans of the three clubs said that they converged to protest against the cancellation by the Kolkata Police the Sunday’s Durand Cup match between Mohan Bagan and East Bengal clubs. The Police administration had refused to provide force citing shortage of manpower on account of other deployments.

Apparently the police had decided to spike the important Derby Match after reports went round that the supporters of the two clubs had decided to jointly raise slogans and show placards condemning the RGKMCH rape and murder of the lady doctor.

“What have the supporters of football done … the game itself is a symbol of justice and so we thought to bring some posters and banners but the police administration got the Derby Match cancelled altogether … and you know Football rests in Bengalis’ hearts … so we decided to jointly converge near the stadium and protest,” one of the fans shouted raising slogans of Justice for the RG Kar victim while rest others sang the National Anthem.

“It is for the first time in history that the three arch rivals have come together for a cause … such show of unity was not witnessed in the past 100 years … hats off to our own Abhaya who besides being a doctor in her death effected such a big social engineering,” said one of the supporters.