Indian police fire tear gas and water cannons during protest against rape and murder of junior doctor

Sign up for our breaking news emails for free real-time alerts sent straight to your inbox

Sign up for our free emails with the latest news

Sign up for our free emails with the latest news

Police in India have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of a top elected official in the country’s east, accused of mishandling the investigation into the rape and murder of a doctor earlier this month.

The August 9 murder of the 31-year-old doctor while on duty at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city of Kolkata has sparked protests across India, highlighting the country’s chronic problem of violence against women. Kolkata is the capital of the state of West Bengal.

Protesters say the attack highlights the vulnerability of healthcare workers in hospitals across India.

Protesters from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party tried to break through a police cordon and march to the office of Mamta Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress party governs the state of West Bengal, demanding her resignation.

Modi’s party is the main opposition party in West Bengal. Police had banned the rally and blocked roads.

Baton-wielding police officers pushed back the protesters and fired tear gas and water cannons. Four student activists were arrested ahead of the rally, police said, accusing them of orchestrating 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 top court said the panel would formulate guidelines for the protection of medical professionals and healthcare workers across the country.

An autopsy of the murdered doctor later confirmed sexual abuse and a police volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. The victim’s family claimed it was a case of gang rape and that more were involved.

In the days since, the growing anger has boiled over into nationwide outrage, with protests over violence against women. The protests have also led to thousands of doctors and paramedics walking out of public hospitals across India, demanding safer working environments. The strikes have affected thousands of patients across India.

Women in India continue to face increasing violence despite tough laws introduced after the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.

That attack inspired lawmakers to order tougher sentences for such crimes and establish fast-track courts to handle rape cases. The government also introduced the death penalty for repeat offenders.