West Bengal teeters on edge as more cases of sexual violence against minors surface

Amid outrage in West Bengal over the horrific murder and rape of a doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, fresh incidents of sexual violence were reported across the state on Sunday.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, a minor was sexually assaulted in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

As soon as this news reached the locals, they took to the streets and started protesting in front of the house of the abuser. The protests soon escalated and turned violent, as the mob vandalised the accused's house and even thrashed a shop of the accused's relative.

Later on the police arrested the accused.

Another incident took place at a Howrah govt hospital where a 12-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a laboratory technician at the hospital premises.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday night around 10 pm, when the girl was receiving treatment for pneumonia and was taken for a CT scan.

A family member of the minor claimed that she came out of the laboratory in tears, as the accused had touched her "inappropriately" and threatened her with dire consequences if she mentioned about the matter to anyone.

The laboratory assistant has been arrested and an investigation is underway, an officer said.

Meanwhile, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), on Sunday demonstrated at the hospital, demanding the resignation of the hospital superintendent.

As news of the incident spread, many people including the victim's family staged a protest outside the hospital. They even tried to assault the accused before the police intervened and arrested him. The BJP also held a protest outside the hospital.

Earlier on Saturday, a patient allegedly molested an on-duty nurse at a hospital in West Bengal.

Over the past month, West Bengal has seen massive protests over the R G Kar rape-murder incident. Many people, including the opposition parties and doctors, have taken to the streets to demand justice for the slain doctor and question the Mamata Banerjee-led government regarding workplace safety of women.

The main accused, Sanjay Roy, has been taken into custody by the Kolkata police and is being interrogated.

The protestors have demanded stringent laws against rapists and have also asked for a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals.

Rallies over medic's rape-murder in Kolkata, prominent personalities launch night-long sit-in

Film director Aparna Sen and numerous other prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry on Sunday joined thousands of people in a massive rally demanding justice for a trainee doctor who was raped-murdered at RG Kar hospital here last month.

The participants at the Mahamicchil, including several prominent film personalities and right activists, squatted at the busy Esplanade area shouting slogans 'Justice' and 'Halla Bol' vowing to be there till early Monday morning.

In addition to the 'Mahamichhil', two other rallies took place elsewhere in the city. While one was organised by the alumni of Ramakrishna Mission-run educational institutions, another involved students and past pupils from a well-known convent school, both echoing the demand for justice for the medic.

At the mega rally that kicked-off at College Square, Sen, accompanied by fellow artistes such as Swastika Mukherjee, Sudipta Chakraborty, Chaiti Ghosal, Sohini Sarkar, and others, marched along Central Avenue demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor.

Accompanied by thousands of supporters, the rallyists occupied the Jawaharlal Nehru Road-S N Banerjee Road crossing and vowed to continue their protest until 4 am on Monday. They demanded that a representative from the ruling party or administration meet them to address their call for a swift investigation and the arrest of those involved.

Asked if they would remain there until 4 am, director Birsa Dasgupta told reporters, "We have sent a mail to the administration. We want someone to come and hold talks with us."

Actor Swastika Mukherjee added, "We know the CBI is investigating the case, but reports suggest there might be attempts to suppress certain details following the doctor's death. We need answers." She added, "We will remain here till 4 am. The administration might think that the movement will lose momentum with the upcoming festive season, but it will resume and grow larger after the Puja. We understand that small business owners might be affected by this movement, but they are with us."

She continued, "So many days have passed since the August 9 incident. After the initial arrest, we have not received any further updates from the investigating agency. The hospital administration's first attempt to dismiss the death as a suicide, combined with only one arrest, has compelled the people of this state to take to the streets. We have united in our demand for justice."

Earlier at the start of the rally, Aparna Sen told reporters, "We are walking on the road together, demanding justice. If needed, I will hit the road again. Common people have the right to demand answers and know the truth." A junior doctors' forum, which has been protesting since the R G Kar incident, also joined the rally.

In south Kolkata, alumni of Ramakrishna Mission schools and other educational institutions marched from Golpark to Rabindra Sadan Exide Crossing carrying banners with the message 'Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya (Lead me from darkness to light), and demanded a fair, impartial investigation and the arrest of all those involved in the crime.

In another rally, around 300 alumni, along with current students and guardians from St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School, walked from Minto Park to the school compound before forming a human chain near Exide Crossing along A J C Bose Road. They also displayed a symbolic image of a spine with the slogan "Our spines are not up for sale" at the rally.

Women members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) staged protests at various blocks, advocating for amendments in laws to ensure capital punishment for rapists.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been staging a sit-in at Dorina Crossing in Esplanade since August 29.

(With PTI inputs)