THOUSANDS of people marched through India’s cities today as protests continued to grow over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a government hospital.
The demonstrators, led by women and medical professionals, demanded justice for the 31-year-old woman, who was found covered in blood at the RG Kar Medical College in the city of Kolkata, and called for better security at medical campuses and hospitals.
An autopsy later confirmed sexual assault and a police volunteer was detained in connection with the crime.
The family of the victim alleged that she had been gang-raped and that more people were involved.
Demonstrators gathered near the parliament building in New Delhi with signs calling for accountability for those who committed the gruesome crime.
Similar protests were held in Kolkata and other cities such as Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Thousands of doctors and paramedics have walked out of some public hospitals to demand a safer working environment.
Police have detained more than 1,500 people involved in the protests.
State government officers who first began investigating the case have been accused of mishandling it, and police later handed over the probe to federal investigators following a court order.
Richa Garg, a doctor who took part in today’s protest in New Delhi, said she no longer felt safe at her workplace.
“As a woman, it boils my blood. The culprits of this crime should be found immediately … and our workplaces should be made safer,” she said.
The Indian Medical Association, the country’s largest grouping of medics, called on Thursday night for a “nationwide withdrawal of services,” except for essential provision, for 24 hours starting from tomorrow.
“Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession,” it said in a statement on the X social media platform.
“It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses.”
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association also resumed a strike after suspending on Tuesday.
Federal Health Minister JP Nadda had assured its members that their demands, including a federal law to curb attacks on doctors, would be met.
Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India.
In 2022, police recorded 31,516 reports of rape, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
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