Kolkata rape-murder case: Protesting Indore doctors demand capital punishment for culprits

Indore, Aug 15 (IANS) Doctors' protest in Indore continued on Thursday against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week.

Medical students and doctors at the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital joined the protest on Thursday.

Medical practitioners associated with the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) and Junior Doctors Association (JDA) have boycotted their duties demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

On Thursday, city doctors took out a protest march from the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital to the MGM Medical College, which later reached the Shivaji Vatika. The agitating doctors said they are very upset with the repeated attacks on medical professionals.

"We have decided to stop all services except emergency," they said.

Anjali, one of the protesting doctors, said that if the victim does not get justice within 24 hours, the protest will continue indefinitely, as she demanded that the culprits should be hanged.

Another protesting doctor, Shubhangi Singh, said that there has been "no response" from the Central government or the West Bengal government in the case.

"The murderer has not been punished yet. Nor has the victim's family received any security. Political people are trying to cover up this incident. Evidence is being tampered with. The wall near the crime scene has been broken so that evidence can be destroyed. Our demand is that the victim should get justice and we should know how many people were involved in the incident. We also demand that security should be provided to all male and female doctors across the country," she said.

Meanwhile, the RDA and JDA have demanded that 24x7 security should be ensured at all the medical colleges so that the staff can be protected from potential threats.

They also demanded that there should be restrictions on the entry of unauthorised persons in doctors' rooms or seminar halls during duty hours.

Besides, they also called for 24-hour food and refreshment facilities within campuses so that the doctors do not need to go out.

A safe and supportive environment should be guaranteed on the routes between hostels and hospitals, they said.

--IANS

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