Every day, a light is extinguished in India. The epidemic of rape has become a horrific norm, and despite the 2012 legislation aimed at combating this, little has changed. India remains stuck in a time where parents urge their daughters to protect their honor but fail to teach their sons to respect women.
Dr. Moumita Debanath, a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal, is the latest victim of this pervasive violence. Her brutal rape and murder during a night shift at a government hospital have ignited widespread protests across India. The Modi government is facing mounting pressure, as the public’s anger refuses to subside despite repeated assurances of justice.
Protests have erupted nationwide, with the largest in Kolkata, where women holding placards, candles, banners, and national flags demanded justice for Dr. Debanath. In the capital, Delhi, as well as Mumbai, Kolkata, and other cities, protesting doctors have vowed not to return to work until the investigation into the rape and murder case is complete.
Dr. Moumita had just completed a grueling 20-hour shift and, lacking a designated common room for women, had fallen asleep in a seminar hall within the hospital. It was during this vulnerable moment that she was attacked by monsters who raped and then murdered her. Her colleagues discovered her near-naked, brutally beaten body the next morning. The last words she shared with her parents were to reassure them: "You and Papa have dinner, take your medicines, and sleep. I'm perfectly fine."
But the following morning, her parents received the devastating call that their daughter had committed suicide. Rushing to the hospital, they were kept outside for three agonizing hours, denied even a final glimpse of their beloved daughter.
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Evidence from the crime scene suggests that Dr. Debanath was first murdered and then raped. However, the post-mortem report reveals a far more harrowing truth: she was raped while in a deep sleep and then mercilessly strangled. The report details the horrific injuries she sustained—16 external wounds on her cheeks, lips, nose, eyes, arms, and knees, and 9 internal injuries, including marks on her private parts.
Dr. Moumita Debanath’s father revealed that before heading out for her night shift, she had written in her diary about her aspirations to top her MD course and become a gold medalist, dedicating her life to serving her field. "But tragically, she lost her life! My daughter will never come back, but at least the investigation should be thorough."
