The doctors of the entire country have been protesting against the brutal rape and murder of the 31-year-old student trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital. The Indian Medical Association has called for a 24-hour nationwide shutdown of non-emergency and OPD services on August 17. The organisation has also demanded justice for the victim and a central law to protect healthcare workers. IMA chief Dr R V Ashokan said the health ministry's decision to form a panel to deliberate on a central law to protect healthcare workers was "too little and too late".
The Opposition has often targeted Trinamool Congress government over 'security for women' in the state in the last 13 years of the Mamata Banerjee government.
HERE ARE SOME MAJOR RAPE CASES
- Park Street rape case (2012): In February 2012, a woman named Suzette Jordan was gang-raped in a moving car after leaving a nightclub on Park Street in Kolkata.
- Kamduni gang rape and murder (2013): In June 2013, a college student was gang-raped and murdered in Kamduni village near Kolkata when she was returning home after taking an exam.
- Madhyamgram Rape Case (2013): In October 2013 a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped twice in two days in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. After filing a complaint, the victim and her family were threatened and she was later found dead under mysterious circumstances.
- Jadavpur University molestation case (2014): In September 2014, a female student was molested on the Jadavpur University campus.
- Ganganapur rape and murder case (2015): In February 2015, a teenage girl was raped and murdered in Ganganapur in Nadia district of West Bengal.
- Bamanghata rape case (2017): July 2017 A woman was allegedly gang-raped in Bamanghata in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
- Hanskhali rape and murder case (2022): According to reports, a 14-year-old girl, who was a student of class 9, went to a birthday party at 4.00 pm on April 4 in the house of Brojogopal Gayali (alias Sohail Gayali), son of AITC leader Samarendra Gayali. She accused there she was gang-raped by Sohail. After the party she was covered with blood.
- Sandeshkhali rape case (2023) There have been over 900 allegations of land grabbing along with complaints of sexual assault by Trinamool MLA Shahjahan Sheikh. After the uproar, the Calcutta High Court was tasked the CBI to investigate allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.
- Diamond Harbour Gang Rape Case (2023): In June 2023, a woman was gang-raped by a group of men in Diamond Harbor in South 24 Parganas district. The incident led to protests and calls for strict action against the culprits. State politics also heated up in this matter.
- RG Kar Medical College Rape Murder Case (2024): A postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata while on duty last week. The semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found on August 9 morning in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
