India's leading police authority assumed control of the investigation on Wednesday regarding the heinous rape and murder of a young medical professional, an incident that has ignited public fury and led to strikes by her fellow physicians. The 31-year-old victim's severely injured body was discovered last week at a government hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, where she was a resident doctor. An autopsy later confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered. According to Indian media, the victim's parents, in a court petition, expressed their belief that their daughter was subjected to a gang rape.
Doctors from various state-run hospitals have suspended non-emergency services indefinitely, calling for swift justice and enhanced security in their workplaces. Although a man who assisted patients in navigating long lines at the victim's hospital has been detained, police have faced accusations of mishandling the case. Consequently, Kolkata's High Court has transferred the investigation to the prestigious Central Bureau of Investigation to restore public confidence.
Sexual violence towards women is a pervasive issue in India, with approximately 90 rapes reported daily in 2022 across the nation of 1.4 billion inhabitants. The barbaric nature of this crime has drawn parallels to the infamous 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman in a Delhi bus, which became a poignant symbol of India's struggle to address sexual violence against women. That incident sparked massive, sometimes violent, protests in Delhi and other cities, prompting the government to impose stricter penalties for rape, including the death penalty for repeat offenders, and to introduce new sexual offenses such as stalking and penalties for officials who neglect to register rape complaints.
