Doctors strike across India to protest rape and murder of trainee medic

Protests have erupted in several Indian cities, including New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Demonstrators are calling for accountability and justice for the victim. The Indian Medical Association has announced a 24-hour shutdown of non-essential services and medical procedures in hospitals on Saturday, affecting most departments except for essential services.

Mass protests have erupted in India over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata. The incident occurred after she finished a 36-hour shift at a government hospital, where she fell asleep in a seminar room due to a lack of a designated rest area. Her body was later found half-naked on a podium, and a police volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. Tens of thousands of women in Kolkata and West Bengal state participated in a "Reclaim the Night" march, demanding justice for the doctor and protesting against the rising number of rape cases in the country. The protests, which began nearly a week after the incident, continued on Wednesday, with feminist groups rallying on the streets and marching beyond Kolkata.

A 31-year-old woman, a resident doctor, was found dead with multiple injuries and signs of sexual assault at a state-run hospital in Calcutta, West Bengal. An autopsy confirmed that she was a victim of homicide and sexual assault. A suspect, Sanjay Roy, a "civic volunteer" at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the attack. Medical associations in multiple states have urged doctors at government hospitals to stop providing elective services indefinitely in protest over the incident.