42-km torch rally in Kolkata for justice in RG Kar rape-murder case

Kolkata: Thousands of people from all sections of society took part in a torch rally from Highland Park in the southern fringes of the city on Friday, demanding justice for the trainee woman doctor who was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar hospital last month.

Doctors, members of voluntary bodies and associations of specially-abled people, cartoonists, IT professionals, scientists and professors participated in the 42-km foot march that began at 4 pm and culminated near Shyambazar around midnight, covering the northern and southern parts of city.

The rallyists held flaming torches in hand and shouted slogans in solidarity with the postgraduate trainee, whose body was found with severe injuries in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9.

The procession passed through Ruby Crossing, VIP Bazar, Science City, Chingrighata and took a detour via Beleghata Building More, Mallick Bazar, NRS Medical College and SSKM Hospital before concluding at Shyambazar in the northern part of the city.

Many among the protesters were seen waving the tricolour and mobile flash lights. Traffic movement was briefly disrupted due to the foot march.

Renuka Das, an 80-year old retired school teacher who joined the march at the Beleghata Building More along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, said, "Despite my ailments, I couldn't help coming down from my third-floor apartment to meet the processionists. I wish them success in their fight. The medic was like my granddaughter. Let no other granddaughter meet such a grim fate," she said.

Rimjhim Sinha, a young researcher, said the movement seeking justice for the doctor is not over yet.

“We will not rest unless all those involved in the brutal attack on our sister are punished,” she said.

Those taking part in the rally also included supporters of arch-rival football clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal wearing green-maroon and red-yellow jerseys.

Three similar rallies named ‘Women, Reclaim the Night’ have been held in the city since August 14 over the RG Kar incident.

Junior doctors agitating over the incident called off their ‘cease work’ on Friday evening, announcing partial resumption of duties entailing attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday.

Ending the 42-day logjam, the agitating medics withdrew the ‘cease work’ after holding a march to the CBI office in Salt Lake from the state health department's headquarters, where they had been demonstrating for over a week.