Hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of a top state minister after the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor.
The protesters, led by university students, defied police orders and broke through barricades, set up on the route of their march to the West Bengal state secretariat, leading to a violent confrontation with authorities.
Police responded with a baton charge, teargas, and water cannon to disperse the crowd, but the protesters remained defiant, chanting slogans and calling for justice.
The incident on August 9, has sparked widespread outrage across the nation, with junior doctors launching protests and refusing to see non-emergency patients.
India’s Supreme Court has created a hospital safety task force and has requested protesting doctors return to work, but some have refused to budge, including in West Bengal, of which Kolkata is the capital.
The victim, a 31-year-old doctor, while on duty at Kolkata city’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found raped and murdered in a desolate area, leading to demands for greater safety for women at hospitals.
A police volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime, and the federal police have taken over the investigation, after autopsy revealed sexual assault on the doctor.
The protesters are demanding swift action against the perpetrators and greater measures to ensure women’s safety.
More than 5,000 policemen were deployed in Kolkata and the neighbouring city of Howrah, a senior officer said.
The state government has faced criticism for its handling of the case, leading to calls for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The family of the victim alleged it was a case of a gang rape and more were involved.