The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata has ignited widespread protests across India, with tens of thousands demanding justice.
The young doctor, who was found dead in a hospital seminar hall after a 36-hour shift, had been a dedicated professional and the sole child of her lower-middle-class parents.
Her devastated family, who had worked hard to support her education and dreams, now find themselves at the centre of intense media and social storm.
The incident has not only highlighted the ongoing issue of violence against women in India but also raised concerns about the safety of healthcare workers, particularly women, in their workplaces.
Nationwide protests and a strike organised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have called for a thorough investigation and stricter laws to protect women in the medical profession. The doctor’s parents, still in shock and mourning, demand the harshest punishment for the accused, reflecting a broader public outcry for justice in a country where cases of sexual violence against women remains alarmingly high.
“At the age of 62, all my dreams have been shattered,” her father told the British state media. “We want the harshest punishment for the culprit. Our state, our country and the whole world is asking for justice for our daughter.”
The names and details of the family cannot be published as Indian laws prohibit identifying a rape victim or her family.
78 years;White appron; खूनी #आज़ादी 💔; ⚖️? #RGKarMedicalcollege
After #rape, murder, attacks on #Doctors and even patients,zero support from govt.
COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ALL MEDICAL FACILITIES ALL OVER INDIA!!
SCENE FROM #BIKANER @Chulbulpanda420 @AIIMSRDA @Indian__doctor pic.twitter.com/bbFGRZgAMY— DrVsaharan (@Vsaharan_MBBS) August 15, 2024
The most painful carricature of 2024
The tailor father worked hard to make his daughter a doctor who was brutally and in the most inhuman way got murdered.#KolkataDoctorDeath pic.twitter.com/UpjBhG1Y00— Abhi Athavale🇮🇳🇮🇳 भारत माता की जय (@athavale_abhi) August 21, 2024
