Reclaim the Night

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Thousands of doctors and other people protested across India on Thursday to demand justice for the brutal rape and murder of a young female doctor in the eastern state of West Bengal, a crime that has prompted more calls to address the chronic issue of violence against women in the country, CBS News reported.

Demonstrators marched under the slogan “reclaim the night” and carrying placards, such as “We want justice,” and “Hang the rapists, save the women.”

The unrest came a week after the 31-year-old medical resident was found semi-nude and dead in a seminar hall at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College. Initially, hospital officials labeled her death as a suicide, but an autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered.

Authorities have arrested Sanjay Roy, a 33-year-old civilian volunteer with Kolkata Police. The accused has a history of violence against women and confessed to the crime.

But despite Roy’s confession, there are suspicions that more than one person might have been involved, given the nature of the injuries, according to the Times of India.

The case’s initial mishandling by the hospital and police authorities led to widespread distrust regarding the probe, prompting the Kolkata High Court to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The crime received swift condemnation from government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called for swift punishment for those who commit “monstrous” deeds against women.

Even so, the case also prompted Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to criticize West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and question the safety of women under her leadership.

The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in the city of Delhi, which also ignited nationwide and international outrage. It also focused attention on the “rape culture” that had evolved in the country, and the horrific rapes and murders that had occurred without anyone being held responsible.

That case prompted the government to toughen penalties for rapists, including the death penalty for repeat offenders. India’s criminal code has also introduced new sexual offenses, such as stalking and jail sentences for officials who failed to register rape complaints.

Sexual violence against women remains problematic in India, where an average of nearly 90 rapes are reported daily according to 2022 data.