‘We demand action’: Protest calls for justice after rape and murder of trainee doctor

A “very important” protest saw Lynn residents demand justice for a trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in India.On Sunday, around 30 people gathered in The Walks for a peaceful event which coincided with countless others across the world.It came after a 31-year-old female doctor was killed at India’s RG Kar Medical College.

Reports say she had retired to sleep in a lecture hall after a gruelling day of work, before her half-naked body was found bearing extensive injuries the following morning.A hospital volunteer was arrested in connection with the case – but widespread protests have erupted across the Asian nation due to a perceived lack of justice.Dr Prabir Mitra, a GP partner at Lynn’s St James Medical Practice, was among those to organise the protest in The Walks.

He was joined by Indian members of the community, as well as others who wished to show their support. “I think it was very important,” he said.“People came and thanked me because this was sitting heavy in their hearts. To have a place to display their emotion and wish for the best was important. “We hope that this might be heard somewhere where it can make a difference.”

The Lynn protest had a clear message: “Enough is enough. We will not be silent as violence against women continues unchecked.”Dr Mitra delivered the inaugural speech in the park, before his son Jashraj – an aspiring doctor – also spoke to those in attendance.Two more local GPs, Dr Jayanta Roychowdhury and Dr Shilpa Verma, delivered a speech and recited a poem respectively, while Sangeeta De – who works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – also spoke.

Dr Sagnika Das, another hospital doctor, sang a song – and Dr Mitra’s wife Sanjukta, a teacher at King Edward VII Academy, concluded with one of her own titled ‘We Shall Overcome’. Part of Jashraj’s speech said: “Today, we demand justice not just for the young doctor who was taken from us, but for every woman who has been made to feel unsafe.“Every woman who has had her dignity, her rights, and her life violated. We demand answers. We demand action. We demand a society where safety and justice are not privileges but basic human rights.

“To the authorities, we say: We are watching. We will not allow this case to fade away. The wheels of justice must turn swiftly, and the guilty must be held accountable.“No excuses, no delays, no escape for those responsible.”

Got a story? Email newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk

---

---