A 31-year-old woman doctor was raped and murdered while she was on duty at a government hospital in Kolkata. When his body was recovered on August 9, the incident caused widespread outrage and protests across the country.
Thousands of people took to the streets in cities across India, demanding justice and protesting against the brutal crime. Holding candlelight vigils and holding posters reading “Restore the Night”, protesters rallied in several cities, including Kolkata. Fellow doctors also demanded a safe working environment.
In the wake of the incident, many government hospitals in India stopped all services except emergency services. Junior doctors also joined the protest and demanded justice for their colleague.
The doctor’s body was found on Friday, and authorities confirmed she had been raped and murdered. Multiple injury marks were found on the body, which bears evidence of the attack. Police have arrested one person in connection with the incident.
In his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged nationwide outrage but did not directly mention the Kolkata incident. She urged the society to think about the crimes committed against women, saying, “There is anger in the country. I can feel this anger.”
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the crime rate against women in India increased by 4 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year.
At first, the hospital authorities informed her family that their daughter had committed suicide. However, an autopsy later showed that she had been raped and murdered.
Vrinda Grover, a prominent lawyer and women’ s rights activist who has defended victims in some of India’s highly-publicized sexual violence cases, told Al Jazeera. Grover had earlier represented Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots, and Soni Sori, a tribal activist from Chhattisgarh.
In the wake of increased anger, thousands of doctors marched in Kolkata on Monday and demanded improved security arrangements and justice for the victim. The Calcutta High Court later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation.
