Kolkata doctors will not return to work until rape case demands met

By Subrata Nag Choudhury

KOLKATA (Reuters) -Junior doctors in India's West Bengal state have vowed to keep up a strike in protest at the rape and murder of a trainee doctor unless their demands are met, defying a Supreme Court deadline for Tuesday.

While demonstrations in other states have been gradually called off after the Supreme Court formed a hospital safety task force, doctors in West Bengal, where the incident happened at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, have continued their protest.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front marched in Kolkata on Tuesday, with junior doctors from several medical colleges in the state lending support, to press its demands for justice for the victim and better security at hospitals.

The group had said it would "consider" the court's order on Monday directing protesters resume work by Tuesday evening only if its demands were tackled by the deadline.

"Otherwise, we will understand that the government does not wish to end the deadlock," the group, which represents about 7,000 physicians in the state, said in a statement on Monday.

"In that case, we will hold the government responsible for the situation arising across the state."

Officials from West Bengal's health department told Reuters that the protesters' concerns, including additional CCTV coverage, deployment of female security personnel, adequate lighting, toilets, and resting spaces, were being addressed.

"Funds have been released but it will certainly not meet the deadline of today (Tuesday)," said a senior official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"It will take some time for these things to happen on the ground."

Protests over the incident spread overseas at the weekend, as thousands of Indians staged demonstrations in 25 countries, including the United States and Japan, to demand justice for the woman.

Rights activists say the attack provides further evidence of the sexual violence Indian women face despite tougher laws introduced after a horrific incident of gang rape and murder in the capital, New Delhi, in 2012.

A police volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime and the former principal of the college has been arrested over accusations of graft.

(Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Alison Williams)