Support truly
independent journalism
Support Now
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
India's only woman chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, will lead a rally demanding justice for a junior doctor raped and killed at one of the prominent state-run hospitals in West Bengal.
A 31-year-old postgraduate trainee was found dead at a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in state capital Kolkata on 9 August during her 36-hour-long shift. A subsequent autopsy confirmed sexual assault.
One suspect has been arrested in the case, a civil volunteer named Sanjay Roy, who is associated with the Kolkata Police. The case has since been taken over by the federal Central Bureau of Investigation amid calls for an unbiased and transparent inquiry into the crime.
Hospital services across government hospitals were affected and thousands of patients suffered after doctors launched a strike against workplace violence.
The Indian Medical Association, the country’s largest grouping of medics, said it would implement a nationwide shutdown of most departments for 24 hours from Saturday morning, the largest such strike in at least a decade.
Hundreds and thousands of women across the country poured on to the streets at midnight demanding justice for the junior doctor as they participated in “reclaim the night” marches.
Key Points
- Doctor’s brutal rape and murder leads to protests in India
- In pics: Women stage protest at midnight to reclaim public space
- Victim’s family suspects foul play: ‘Was told she died by suicide'
- PM Narendra Modi calls for stricter punishment for perpetrators
Massive protests in India as women march to ‘reclaim streets’ after
Tens of thousands of women took to the streets across India on Wednesday night in protest over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a prominent state-run hospital in West Bengal.
The largest of the protests took place in Kolkata itself, where women armed with placards, candles and the Indian national flag ushered in the country’s 78th Independence Day at midnight by demanding justice for the killing of the 31-year-old female resident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Women at the “Reclaim the Night” protest told The Independent that they wanted swift justice for the victim – some are calling for the perpetrator or perpetrators to be given the death penalty – but also a wider reckoning on violence against women and the safety of doctors in the country.
Our ground report:
Massive protests in India as women ‘reclaim streets’ after doctor’s murder
Police fired teargas at a large crowd of men who attacked the Kolkata hospital where a trainee doctor, 31, was raped and killed
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 07:00 1723786224
Watch: Doctors protest in India
Prime minister Narendra Modi condemns atrocities against women
Prime minister Narendra Modi condemned atrocities against women in his Independence Day address yesterday, calling for stricter punishments for the perpetrators.
“As a society, we have to think about the atrocities being committed against our mothers, daughters and sisters. There is outrage against this in the country. I can feel this outrage,” he said.
Police in India recorded 31,516 reports of rape in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 06:00 1723782661In pics: Women stage protest at midnight to reclaim public space
Victim’s family suspects foul play
The victim’s family alleged they were initially informed by a senior police official over the phone that their daughter had died by suicide.
A relative of the family, who went to the hospital with the doctor’s parents, said they were made to wait outside for three hours.
“The parents pleaded before them (hospital authorities) to show them their daughter’s face. But still, they were made to wait for three hours,” the relative told India Today.
The victim’s father told reporters: “I have turned down compensation. It will hurt my daughter if I accept money as compensation for her death. I want justice.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:30 1723781067Doctor’s brutal rape and murder leads to protests in India
The brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor during her 36-hour shift at a prominent state-run hospital in eastern India has led to an outbreak of protests and calls for a nationwide strike.
Protesters demanded “justice for our didi [elder sister]” outside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata where the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee was found dead.
The Independent spoke to doctors who unanimously agreed that the facility lacked safety measures for medical workers.
Our ground report :
Kolkata protests: Doctor’s brutal rape and murder leads to protests in India
The Independent meets protesters in Kolkata demanding ‘justice’ for murdered 31-year-old resident as incident leads to calls for a nationwide walkout
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:04 1723780996
Doctors in India demand safety at the workplace
Hundreds and thousands of doctors across government hospitals in India staged a strike earlier this week, seeking justice for the victim and better workplace safety for the medicos.
The pan-India doctors’ strike was in response to a call by the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (Forda) in solidarity with the agitation in Kolkata.
The resident doctors association of the RG Kar Medical College ceased work on the emergency services last week.
The federation demanded the implementation of the central healthcare protection act, which prohibits acts of violence against healthcare service personnel including doctors, nurses, para-medical workers, medical students, and ambulance drivers.
The nationwide strike was called off after two days but the doctors at RG Kar refused to rejoin work.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:03 1723780908Protests swell over rape and murder of 31-year-old doctor
Protests have erupted across India over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor, who was found dead inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.
The victim was last seen after midnight on 9 August before she went to a third-floor seminar hall of the pulmonology department in the emergency building of the hospital during her 36-hour on-call duty.
Her partially naked body with visible marks of abuse was discovered by fellow students after 7am (local time) on Friday.
The local police arrested a civil volunteer associated with the Kolkata Police, Sanjay Roy, and remanded him to 14 days of custody. The suspect has been charged with rape and murder.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:01 1723780151Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s blog on the ongoing protests in India demanding justice for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 04:49Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
