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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 called for an indefinite strike against workplace violence. The strike was withdrawn after two days but more protests have been planned for today.
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.
The Indian Medical Association has announced a 24-hour closure of non-emergency medical services starting 6am (local time) tomorrow.
In pics: Women stage protest at midnight to reclaim public space
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:31
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
Doctor’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.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 August 2024 05:04
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
Protests 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
Good 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 04:49
