A midnight August 14 protest over the rape and murder of a young Indian doctor in Kolkata, was itself attacked as a “mob of miscreants” targeted protesters, damaged police vehicles and even attacked doctors.

The incident took place as thousands of law-abiding Indians from across the state of West Bengal and the nation joined the protest titled 'Reclaim the Night' – demanding that authorities around the country increase safety levels in public areas for women.

In recent years India has been plagued by numerous cases of sexual assault, rape and murder of women. Attacks on local women rarely make international headlines although the 2012 rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in Delhi led to the hanging of four men but only after nationwide and international protests about the case.

Sources point to there being 90 cases of rape reported every day in 2022; a figure likely much higher in reality given global trends that see many women refrain from reporting rape for fear of possible backlash.

All too often in India though, authorities appear to make little effort to track down rapists and those that are caught are oftentimes treated leniently.

In the case of a Muslim woman gang raped by 11 Hindu men as 14 members of her family were murdered in 2002 during anti-Muslim riots in the northeast state of Gujarat, their early release in 2022 by the Gujarati administration, was only reversed following a widespread international outcry.

In the Kolkata case, the victim was a 31-year-old trainee doctor. Found dead on August 9, hospital administration first claimed that the deceased had taken her own life. At a later autopsy it was confirmed that she has in fact been raped and murdered. A suspect was later arrested and is currently being held by police.

A protest in support of the victim and against sexual violence against women was subsequently held on the evening of August 12 to call for enhanced safety in for women in public.

These protests have since been repeated in at least seven states across the country, from Assam in the northeast to Delhi and Tamil Nadu in the south.

However, it was in Kolkata that an angry mob attacked protestors with stones before making efforts to enter the building where the doctor had been murdered.

According to one senior resident physician on the protest against the murder and lack of action, Subhendu Mullick, quoted in the local Indian Express, “a mob of miscreants entered the hospital. The agitating doctors were attacked and had to flee. They even tried to enter the building where the junior doctor was raped and murdered” Mullick said, adding that “police stood as mute spectators.”