Protests intensify after mob vandalizes hospital

In India, protests have intensified after a mob vandalized a hospital where a Doctor in training was raped and murdered in the state of West Bengal.

The hospital was closed on Wednesday during the massive Reclaim the Night march held in the city of Calcutta to protest against the brutal crime.

Smaller protests also took place in many other Indian cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) – the country's largest doctors' association – has announced a nationwide strike of all non-emergency medical services for Saturday.

Doctors' associations in other cities and political parties in West Bengal have also planned demonstration marches for Friday and the weekend to protest against the attack.

Tens of thousands of women across the state took part in the Reclaim the Night march on Wednesday evening to demand “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”

Although the protests were largely peaceful, there were clashes between police and a small group of unidentified men who entered RG Kar Hospital – the scene of the crime – and vandalised the emergency room.

Videos circulated on the Internet showing the men smashing beds and equipment with sticks.

Protesters told the BBC that some doctors and hospital staff were injured in the attack. Some police vehicles were also damaged in the chaos and tear gas had to be used to disperse the crowd.

The Calcutta Police arrested 19 people in connection with the incident so far.

On Thursday, IMA condemned the attackcalled it “hooliganism unleashed against protesting students” and announced the suspension of all non-emergency services for 24 hours from 6:00 a.m. local time. [00:30 GMT] on Saturday.

“Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals and on campus,” the IMA said in a statement.

“The IMA needs the sympathy of the nation for the just cause of its doctors.”

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (Forda), another leading doctors' association, has also resumed its strike after calling it off on Tuesday.

The protest was called off after Federal Health Minister JP Nadda assured members that their demands – including a federal law to curb attacks on doctors – would be met.

The incident also triggered a political blame game in West Bengal: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) of orchestrating the attack.

The TMC denied the allegations and blamed “political outsiders” for fuelling the violence.

The rape of the 31-year-old doctor in training has shocked the country.

Her half-naked body with severe injuries was discovered in a seminar room last week. A volunteer who worked at the hospital was arrested in connection with the crime.

Since then, two more rape cases have made headlines in India.

In the northern state of Uttarakhand, a nurse was allegedly raped and killed as she returned home from work. She disappeared in late July and her body was found last week. Police have a man from the western state of Rajasthan in connection with the crime.

Meanwhile, six people have been arrested in the northern state of Bihar for the alleged gang rape and murder of a six-year-old Dalit girl. Her mutilated body was found near a pond in a village in Muzaffarpur district on Tuesday morning.