Doctors across India have declared an indefinite strike in response to the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. The strike will halt all elective services in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata until a thorough investigation is completed. The medical community is also demanding enhanced security measures for all healthcare staff.
The protest follows the discovery of the body of a 32-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, who was found dead in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College on Thursday night. The initial autopsy revealed severe injuries and bleeding from multiple parts of her body.
City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the hospital for the second time in three days to meet with the protesting junior doctors. He assured that the investigation is “transparent” and urged the public to avoid spreading rumors.
Police have arrested a suspect, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer who frequented the hospital but was not affiliated with it. Roy reportedly went home, changed his clothes, and attempted to destroy evidence before his arrest, according to a police officer involved in the investigation.
