New Delhi, Aug 15 (EFE).- A mob of hundreds stormed the hospital where a doctor was raped and murdered last week, vandalizing the facility amid protests across several Indian cities over the safety of medics.
The R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, suffered serious damage, including broken windows, torn-out stretchers, and destroyed security cameras, according to images released by Indian media outlets.
The violence involved a mob of “between 500 and 1,000 people” who arrived shortly after midnight, a hospital security guard told the media. “There were too many of them, about 10 or 12 of us plus the police. We were not rivals,” the guard said.
Despite concerns that evidence of the murder might be destroyed, Kolkata police stated on X that “the crime scene had not been disturbed.”
Simultaneously, thousands of women took to the streets of Kolkata around midnight to protest the rape of the 31-year-old resident doctor at the same hospital. The doctor’s body was found on Friday, with an autopsy confirming she had been raped before being murdered.
Initially, protests were mainly organized by doctor associations, questioning the lack of workplace security. However, last night’s protest, dubbed “Women Reclaim the Night,” drew thousands of females from all walks of life.
Although the main protest remained peaceful, clashes occurred outside the university campus where the hospital is located, leading police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. Social media images showed overturned vehicles and damaged street furniture at the scene.
Beyond Kolkata, doctors in other Indian cities are also protesting, demanding mandatory protocols for healthcare worker safety and the ratification of a Central Health Protection Act.
Sexual violence against women remains a persistent issue in India, often sparking societal backlash and demands for stronger safety measures. In 2022, India recorded 31,500 rape cases—an average of 86 per day. EFE
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