Following the rape and killing of a trainee physician in eastern India, there were furious demonstrations and fighting at a Kolkata medical school. At the R.G. Kar Medical College, there were car attacks and damage to patient wards as a result of the disturbance that started after the body of the 31-year-old doctor was discovered on August 9. The altercation that ensued resulted in multiple officers being hurt as police used tear gas in response.
Demands for safer and better working conditions for medical workers throughout India have increased in response to the crime. In the wake of the tragedy, demonstrators demanded justice, accusing government hospitals in numerous locations of participating in a probable gang rape and suspending non-emergency services. Federal investigators have been tasked with looking into the arrest of a volunteer police officer.
According to India's National Crime Records Bureau, there was a 20% rise in rape incidents between 2021 and 2022. However, many acts of sexual violence remained unreported because of social stigma and mistrust of the police. Both opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have voiced their opinions on the matter; Gandhi has accused state officials of trying to protect suspects, while Modi has expressed horror.
Much with the 2012 gang rape case that resulted in important legislative reforms, the incident has focused attention once again on the issue of sexual violence in India. Advocates contend that more work is necessary to adequately safeguard women and hold offenders accountable, even in light of the recent changes to the laws against rape, which include the implementation of fast-track courts and stiffer sentences.
