Medical students join hands in a protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. (Image source: Reuters)
Midnight marches and protests took place not only in Kolkata, where the horrific crime occurred, but rallies were also reported in other cities.
Women in Kolkata and several major towns and districts in West Bengal will take to the streets around midnight tonight to stage agitation and protest rallies demanding justice in the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital justice.
Protesters in Kolkata will gather outside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital at 11:55 pm. It's titled “Women, Take Back the Night.” Similar protests are expected at other medical colleges, including AIIMS in New Delhi, where a protest is planned outside Gate 2.
The protests were timed to coincide with the country's Independence Day celebrations at the stroke of midnight.
College Street, Academy of Fine Arts and Jadavpur 8B bus stand are the three places where protesters are expected to gather.
The call for protests has received widespread support from almost all sectors of society.
As protest-related hashtags spread rapidly, social media sites like X were flooded with discussions about the protests and demands for quick justice.
Kolkata Metro Rail has announced that it will operate two additional pairs of trains on its north-south corridor to cater for expected protest activity.
The metro authority also confirmed that all counters will be kept open for physical ticket purchase.
“Tonight is the night of freedom for women in West Bengal and beyond. A new freedom struggle begins tonight,” Rimjhim Sinha, who was the first to call for the movement, said in a Facebook post.
A poster has gone viral on social media, showing a red hand holding a crescent moon against a night sky background.
Protesters said no party flags would be allowed at the rally. However, groups representing marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ will be allowed to participate with flags.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday supported the Calcutta High Court's decision to transfer the RG Kar Medical College case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She asked the central agency to resolve the case within Sunday.
She slammed rivals CPI(M) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicizing the incident and inciting protests.
“We will abide by the Calcutta High Court order and provide all support to the CBI. We have no problem with the CBI taking over the case as we want this issue resolved as soon as possible,” Banerjee said at Behala said a speech planned by a political party.
Later, at a similar event in Hazra Mor, Banerjee announced plans to take to the streets on Friday to demand justice for the late doctor.
“I will personally take to the streets on Friday and we demand the CBI to ensure that the case is solved by Sunday. Kolkata Police has completed 90 per cent of the investigation and the culprits must be hanged,” she asserted while urging doctors to resume Work.
A 25-member CBI special team, headed by another director, began investigating on Wednesday and detained the main accused. The investigating agency lodged an FIR with various departments of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in New Delhi in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the doctor.
Officials said the investigation team, which mainly comprised the agency's Special Crime Branch and its local units, swung into action upon arriving in Kolkata this morning and was in possession of all documents of the investigation conducted so far by the Kolkata Police. PTI.
