Thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest, demanding justice for a female doctor who was raped and killed. Source: ABVP Chhattisgarh via X.
The rape and murder of a doctor in an Indian hospital earlier this month has sparked massive outrage, with thousands of people demanding for justice in protest.
The 31-year-old trainee doctor is believed to have gone for a quick nap after a 36-hour shift in an empty seminar room, before she was brutally raped and killed.
The doctor was found dead on Friday 9 August in Kolkata R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The parents of the victim were initially told “by hospital authorities that their daughter had committed suicide,” Women’s rights activist and lawyer Vrinda Grover told Al Jazeera.
But an autopsy confirmed that the victim was sexually assaulted before being killed.
A police volunteer was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime; however, the victim’s family alleges that more than one person was involved, and that his daughter was gangraped.
Local police were criticised by Kolkata’s High Court, and the public, for mishandling the investigation, and transferred the case to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The incident has triggered massive protests by people nationwide, including the medical community who have gone on a strike demanding justice for the victim, and safer working conditions.
Many other hospitals across India have also suspended services, excluding emergency services.
“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,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation on 15 August.
In a post on X, the head of the Indian Medical Association Dr RV Asokan wrote, “we failed her in life but did not fail her in death”, referencing the ongoing protests and strikes.
The victim’s father—who cannot be named due to Indian laws that prohibit identifying a rape victim or her family—told The Gurdian that his daughter had “worked extremely hard to become a doctor”.
“All our dreams have been shattered in one night. We sent her to work and the hospital gave us her body. It’s all finished for us,” he said.
“My daughter isn’t coming back. I’m never going to hear her voice or laugh. All I can do now is concentrate on getting her justice.”
Yesterday, the CBI submitted a status report on the case to the Supreme Court.
Sexual violence against women is a widespread issue in India, with an average of 90 rapes a day reported in 2022.
If you need to talk to someone regarding the topics raised in this article, you can contact:
National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Service: 1800 737 732
Lifeline 24/7 Crisis Support: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
