The rape and murder of a Kolkata female doctor has triggered a massive nationwide protest and strike in India.
Dr. Moumita Debnath was a 31-year-old second-year postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, where she was raped and murdered.
In the early hours of Friday, August 9th, Dr. Moumita was reported missing by her fellow colleagues, who mentioned that they last saw her heading to a seminar hall within the college premises to rest after a long shift.
Hours later, her half-naked body was discovered with brutal injuries sustained from an obvious sexual assault.
Eventually, the autopsy results confirmed that Moumita had been raped and strangled to death. The reports also revealed severe injuries to her genital tract, face, and other parts of her body, suggesting that she had struggled with her attacker before her death.
Since the news of her assault got out, protests have erupted not just in Kolkata but in various parts of India, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune, with doctors, medical students, and healthcare workers holding candlelight vigils in honor of Moumita’s memory.
Demonstrators are also calling for greater security at hospital and for better laws to protect medical staff [EPA]On Wednesday night, tens of thousands of women across West Bengal came out for the Reclaim the Night march to demand “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”
On Friday, thousands of people also marched through the streets of Kolkata, protesting against violence on women. “It feels like hope is being reignited,” a protester, Sumita Datta, told the AFP news agency.
The emergency ward of the RG Kar Hospital, where the crime happened, was ransacked by a group of unidentified men, though at least 25 people have been arrested in connection with the crime.
Moumita’s assault has also drawn attention from international organizations and human rights groups in solidarity with the protesting doctors in India.
Investigations into the murder showed Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police disaster management force, as a prime suspect.
Roy had a history of domestic abuse and was a frequent visitor to the hospital. In addition, his Bluetooth headset was found at the crime scene, leading to his arrest.
Currently, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is the country’s largest group of doctors, called for a 24-hour nationwide strike on Saturday, August 17th.
Seminar hall where Moumita’s body was found
The IMA described Moumita’s assault as a “crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women.”
They asked for the country’s support in its “struggle for justice,” placing demands that a “meticulous and professional investigation” should be carried out, those involved in vandalizing be prosecuted, and the victim’s family be compensated.
They also demanded increased security and the creation of safe rest spaces in health facilities.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that “monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished,” while the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the governing Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) of orchestrating the attack; which they denied, blaming “political outsiders” for inciting violence.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now handling the investigation following criticisms against the delay of justice by the local police and calls for a more thorough investigation.
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