Agency Indian doctors held a nationwide strike on Saturday, escalating protests after the “barbaric” rape and murder of their colleague that has channelled outrage at the chronic issue of violence against women. The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata on August 9 sparked furious protests in several cities across the country. Many have been led by doctors and other healthcare workers but also joined by tens of thousands of ordinary Indians demanding action.
In Kolkata, thousands held a candle-lit vigil into the early hours of Saturday morning. “Hands that heal shouldn’t bleed,” read one sign held by a protester in the eastern city. “Enough is enough,” read another at a rally by doctors in the capital New Delhi.
“Hang the rapist,” another said. The murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital’s seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a rest during a 36-hour shift. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault and, in a petition to the court, the victim’s parents said they suspected their daughter was gang-raped.
One man, who worked at the hospital helping people navigate busy queues, has been detained. However, Kolkata’s police were accused by an angry public of mishandling the case and the city’s High Court transferred the investigation to India’s top Central Bureau of Investigation to “inspire public confidence”. Those in government hospitals across several states on M.