Kolkata Rape-Murder: Raj Bhawan, Victoria Memorial in Darkness, Lit Only by Candles and Slogans

Kolkata: As a part of their protest, Kolkata residents first turned off the lights at their homes, and then hit the road with burning candles, torches and flashlights of their mobile phones in their hands. The demonstration on Kolkata lanes as well as outside prominent landmarks, such as Raj Bhawan, was held to press for a faster judicial process in the gruesome rape and murder case with a female trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August. Like every other citizen in Kolkata, Raj Bhawan also switched off the lights in its premises. There, Governor CV Ananda Bose lit a candle and said, “When light is fear, darkness is dear.”

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front had called the protest, and titled it ‘Let There Be Light, Let There Be Justice’. The demonstration was planned to coincide with the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing in the rape-murder case on September 5. With the slogans of “Justice Delayed Means Justice Denied,’ protestors sought a faster court proceeding in the case.

Other significant spots in Kolkata, such as Victoria Memorial, was also kept their lights off for an hour. Homes across the city, its suburbs and districts kept the lights off for the protest, and hit the roads with burning candles.

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Large crowds gathered across Kolkata, Howrah, and Salt Lake, flooding the streets with candles and mobile phone torches while chanting “We want justice.” They demanded accountability for the alleged horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor.

Protests erupted at key locations including Shyambazar Five-Point Crossing, Moulali, New Town Biswa Bangla Gate, Rashbehari Crossing, Behala, Garia, Ballygunge, Hazra Crossing, and Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand.

At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the focal point of the protests, doctors, both junior and senior, joined the demonstration. The victim’s family, also present, accused the Kolkata Police of being excessively hasty in cremating the victim’s body and treating the family insensitively following the discovery of the crime on August 9.