Doctors obeserve nationwide strike in response to Kolkata rape-murder case, echoing 2012 Nirbhaya incident

Doctors across India have initiated a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the horrific sexual assault and murder of a 31-year-old female postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata.

This incident recalls the harrowing 2012 case of Jyoti Singh, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern who was brutally beaten, gang-raped, and tortured aboard a private bus while traveling with her male friend, Avnindra Pratap Pandey.

Doctors association demands prompt action? ?

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) organised the strike, calling for prompt action and justice for the victim. The tragic incident, which occurred while the doctor was on duty last Friday, has sparked widespread outrage within the medical community.

In a demonstration of solidarity, doctors from West Bengal have declared an indefinite halt to their work. Simultaneously, major hospitals in Delhi, including Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, and VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, have voiced their support for the national strike initiated by FORDA.

?"We shall begin our nationwide agitation," stated FORDA in a press release. They have resolved to suspend elective services across the country starting Monday. "As a mark of our solidarity with the colleagues of RG Kar, we announce a nationwide halt of elective services in hospitals starting Monday. This decision is not made lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that the demands for justice and safety are met without further delay," FORDA emphasised.

Furthermore, FORDA has reportedly issued five key demands to the authorities, seeking swift justice for the deceased, improved security protocols for healthcare workers, and urging the expedited enactment of the Central Healthcare Protection Act.

?SIT to probe the case

In response to the incident, the West Bengal government has appointed Dr Bulbul Mukhopadhyay as the new Medical Superintendent cum Vice-Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Regarding the investigation, the Kolkata Police have detained a suspect named Sanjay Roy, an outsider with access to the hospital premises. Roy was apprehended following the discovery of a Bluetooth headset at the crime scene, which led to his identification through CCTV footage.

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The preliminary autopsy report of the deceased doctor revealed multiple injuries and signs of sexual assault, confirming that the crime occurred between 3 and 6 pm. In light of these findings, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to further investigate the murder.

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