KOLKATA, India – Police in Kolkata, eastern India, deployed tear gas and water cannons on Tuesday to disperse thousands of protesters demanding justice for a trainee doctor raped and murdered at a state-run hospital earlier this month. The 31-year-old victim’s death has ignited nationwide outrage over violence against women in India.
Demonstrators marched to a government building in Kolkata, calling for the resignation of West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. The protest escalated into clashes with police, who used batons to control the crowd. A senior police official, speaking anonymously, reported at least 100 arrests for “creating violence.”
The case, now transferred to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation after criticism of local police’s slow progress, has seen one hospital volunteer arrested in connection with the crime.
Since the August 9 killing, a series of protests have swept across West Bengal. The largest, a “Reclaim the Night” march on August 14, saw tens of thousands of women demanding “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”
India’s Supreme Court has stated the incident “shocked the conscience of the nation” and criticized authorities for their handling of the investigation. In response, Banerjee’s government has announced new women’s safety measures at workplaces, including designated retiring rooms and CCTV-monitored “safe zones” at state-run hospitals.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, an opposition party in West Bengal, has accused Banerjee’s government of fostering an unsafe environment for women, claiming it enabled crimes like the doctor’s murder.
As more rape incidents make headlines in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for severe and swift punishment for “monstrous behavior against women.” The ongoing protests and political tensions underscore the persistent challenges India faces in addressing violence against women and ensuring public safety.
