Kolkata hit streets again as part of 'Reclaim the Night' protests to seek justice for rape-murder of trainee doctor

A month after the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the 'city of joy' again descended to the streets as part of the 'Reclaim the Night' protests on Sunday night, i.e., September 8, seeking justice for the deceased victim. 

Notably, this is the second occasion when thousands of people joined the 'Reclaim the Night' protests, after August 14 (a night before Independence Day). 

Hundreds of junior doctors of R G Kar hospital, the epicentre of the movement since August 10, formed a human chain at 5 p.m. and sang the national anthem holding the tri-colour, demanding justice for their collegue. 

According to a report by NDTV, a key foot march -- by 58 school alumni associations -- was held in posh south Kolkata. 

The artists of Kolkata also showed up in great strengths to demand justice for the young doctor. Moreover, the film actors held a rally in Tollygunge.

Among the protestors was the mother of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, whose brutal rape and murder sent shockwaves across the country. 

"Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve the society. Now, all these protestors are my children", NDTV has quoted her as saying. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case related to the incident today. Earlier, the apex court took a suo motu cognizance of the matter, after it triggered massive protests and marches across the country.

What happened in the case so far?

Following the barbaric incident, an accused Sanjay Roy was arrested by Kolkata police and later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the central agency entrusted with the probe into the incident. 

Roy worked as a civic volunteer at the hospital and is accused of raping and murdering the trainee doctor while she was asleep in the seminar hall after a 36-hour-long duty. The CBI conducted a polygraph test of the accused and as several media reports have suggested, Roy claimed that he was 'innocent' and was 'being framed'. 

Meanwhile, the CBI produced him in the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) court in Kolkata's Sealdah which has sent him to 14 days of judicial custody.

“The agency, while seeking judicial custody for Roy before the ACJM court on Friday, didn’t include section 70 (1) of the BNS (section for gang rape) in the remand note indicating that Roy is the only accused in the case so far,” an official aware of the details told Hindustan Times.