Police in India fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of a top official in the country's east, accusing him of mishandling an investigation into the Aug. 9 rape and murder of a doctor.
The killing of a 31-year-old doctor while on internship at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city of Kolkata has sparked protests across India, focusing on the chronic issue of violence against women in India. Kolkata is the capital of the state of West Bengal.
Protesters said the attack highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare workers in hospitals across India.
Protesters from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to break through a police cordon and march towards the office of Mamta Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress party rules West Bengal state, and demanded her resignation.
The BJP is the opposition party in West Bengal. Police have banned rallies by the party and blocked roads.
Police armed with batons pushed back protesters and fired tear gas and water cannon. Four student activists were arrested before the rally, police said. They were accused of trying to organize large-scale violence.
India's Supreme Court last week set up a national task force of doctors to make recommendations on the safety of healthcare workers at work. The court said the panel would outline guidelines for the protection of medical professionals and healthcare workers in the country.
An autopsy on the dead doctor later confirmed a sexual assault. A volunteer police officer was arrested in connection with the crime. The victim's family alleges it was a gang rape and that more people were involved.
In the days that followed, the growing anger turned into a nationwide outcry against violence against women. The protests also led to thousands of doctors and paramedics going on strike at several public hospitals in India, demanding a safer working environment. The strikes affected thousands of patients across India.
Women in India continue to face increasing violence despite tough laws enacted after the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.
The attack inspired lawmakers to call for tougher penalties for such crimes and to create special fast-track courts for rape cases. The government also introduced the death penalty for repeat offenders. (uh)
