Kolkata doctor’s rape case: Parents remember daughter who was murdered in India hospital

In India’s Kolkata capital, a trainee doctor was raped and killed earlier this month, sparking a sizable outcry for justice. Hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets to protest. The doctor’s relatives, who recall their child as a smart, intelligent young woman who wanted to live well and take care of her household, spoke to BBC Hindi.

Because American laws forbid identifying a murder victim or her relatives, all of their titles and details have been removed.

” Choose ensure that Dad takes his medications on time. Do n’t worry about me”.

The 31-year-old doctor’s family had just heard this, hours before she was viciously assaulted at the hospital where she worked.

The family told the BBC at their household home in a remote corner a few kilometers from Kolkata that the phone rang the next day when we attempted to reach her.

The same night, the vet’s partially-clothed body was discovered in the lecture hall, bearing substantial injury. A doctor volunteer has been detained in connection with the murder.

The incident has sparked massive outrage across the country, with protests in several major cities. At the weekend, doctors across hospitals in India observed a nation-wide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), with only emergency services available at major hospitals.

The home claims that their loss makes them feel hollowed out.

” At the age of 62, all my goals have been shattered”, her parents told the BBC.

Since their sister’s brutal murder, their home, located in a nice village, has become the focus of intense press scrutiny.

Difficulty dozens of journalists and camera crew are positioned behind a policeman wall, hoping to catch the parents if they leave.

A group of 10 to 15 police officers regularly patrol the scene to prevent the devices from capturing images of the defendant’s home.

The crime took place on the day of 9 August, when the lady, who was a young physician at the state’s RG Kar Medical College, had gone to a conference room to relax after a gruelling 36-hour shift.

Her kids recalled how their only child, a young physician, was a dedicated student who worked very hard to become a doctor.

We were raised in a lower middle-class community and built all on our own. When she was less, we struggled financially”, said the father, who is a seamstress.

A sewing machine, skeins of yarn, and a large iron were all present in the living space where he sat. On the ground, there were scattered pieces of fabric.

There were times when the home did not include money to actually get pomegranates, their mother’s favorite fruit, he continued.

She could not take herself to ask for anything of herself, she said.

” People would say,’ You ca n’t make your daughter a doctor’. But my child proved all bad and got entrance in a government-run health school”, he added, breaking down. A close friend tried to comfort him.

Every night before going to bed, the mother recalled how her daughter had journal.

She stated that she wanted to obtain a silver medal for her health education. She firmly stated,” She wanted to lead a great career and take care of us as well.”

And she did.

The parents, who is a great blood-pressure person, said their girl always made sure he took his medications on time.

” I again ran out of medication, thinking I’d just get it the next day.” But she found out, and even though it was around 10 or 11pm at evening, she said no-one will have until the medication is around”, he said.

” That’s how she was- she never let me stress about anything”.

Her mother paid close attention to the gold bracelet on her wrist, which she had purchased with her daughter, with her hands constantly touching it.

The parents said their sister’s wedding had almost been finalised. The father remarked,” But she would remind us not to worry and that she would continue to cover all of our expenses also after marriage.”

As he spoke those terms, the family began to weep, her gentle tears echoing in the background.

Sometimes, her eyes would move to the stair, leading up to their sister’s room.

Since the reports of her death, the entrance has been closed, and the kids have never visited the property since August 10th.

They say they still ca n’t believe that something” so barbaric” could happen to their daughter at her workplace.

” The doctor should be a healthy place”, the dad said.

According to federal statistics, an average of 90 murders per day were reported in India in 2022. This is a significant problem.

The parents said their daughter’s death had brought back memories of a 2012 case when a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped on a moving bus in capital Delhi. Her injuries were fatal.

India enacted stricter rules against sexual violence following the assault, which caused months of protests and received international attention.

However, sexual assault cases have increased, and access to justice nonetheless remains a problem for people.

Last week, thousands participated in a Reclaim the Night march held in Kolkata to demand safety for women across the country.

The doctor’s case has also highlighted the difficulties faced by care workers, who have pressed for a rigorous and impartial investigation into the death and a national rules to safeguard them, particularly women, at work.

JP Nadda, the head of federal health, has assured doctors that he will implement strict regulations to improve the safety of their work environments.

But for the parents of the doctor, it’s too little too late.

” We want the harshest punishment for the culprit”, the father said.

” Our state, our country and the whole world is asking for justice for our daughter”.