Anger over the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in eastern India continued on Friday, with medics calling for the biggest hospital shutdown in recent memory and political parties preparing for protests.
A 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week at the medical college in the eastern city of Kolkata where she worked, sparking nationwide protests among doctors.
A civilian volunteer of the Kolkata police has been arrested on suspicion of the crime. According to a senior police official, traces of blood and skin found under the victim’s fingernails were a complete match to the suspect’s DNA and consistent with the injuries he sustained during the attack.
Late in the evening of August 15, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest union of medical professionals, said it would shut down most departments except essential services for 24 hours from the morning of August 17, in what would be the largest such strike in a decade. The IMA said in a statement on X on Aug 15:
“Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses.”
Political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in opposition in West Bengal, whose capital is Kolkata, said they would hold protests in the city on August 16.
Bollywood actors, other celebrities and politicians have expressed shock at the crime and called for tougher punishment for perpetrators of crimes against women.
Medics under attack by violence in India
Doctors say the circumstances of the rape highlight the vulnerability of medics left without adequate protection and facilities.
The incident brought back memories of a similar case in New Delhi in 2012, when a gang of men raped and severely injured a 23-year-old female student on a bus, eventually leading to her death.
Doctors in India’s overcrowded public hospitals have long complained of being overworked and underpaid, and say not enough is being done to tackle violence from patients unhappy with the care on offer.
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released late last year, crimes against women in India rose by 4 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year.
