Thousands of junior doctors are protesting close to the Swastha Bhavan (the administrative building of the state's Health and Family Welfare) in Salt Lake area on Tuesday to demand justice for the rape and murder of a medic in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The deadline set by the Supreme Court for doctors to join their duty ended at 5 pm.

The doctors, who are on a casework demanding justice for the Kolkata medic, had set a counter deadline of 5 pm for the state government to accept their demands.

They said they would rejoin work only after their demands are met.

The junior doctors demanded the resignations of a few state health officials, Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal and justice for the victim.

A junior doctor told media: "We need to clean the dirt in the Swastha Bhavan."

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday sent arrested former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh judicial custody till September 23.

The former principal is facing alleged financial irregularities during his tenure.

In the Supreme Court hearing on Monday, the advocate representing the junior doctors claimed the protesters are not confident to resume work over the threats they are still receiving.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said no action will be taken against the junior doctors if they resume work by 5 pm on Tuesday.

The CJI said the court will not be able to restrain the state government from taking action if the junior doctors continue with their protests.

"We can record that if doctors resume to work, no adverse action but if they do not resume work as doctors then we cannot restrain state govt from taking actions," he said.

The state's counsel, advocate Kapil Sibal claimed in the hearing that 23 patients have died due to the junior doctors' ceasework.

In the previous hearing held last month, the CJI had urged the junior doctors to resume work restraining the government from any action against them.