The street protests have in recent days condemned the violence and demanded better security for women since a medical student was found murdered and raped at her workplace, R G Kar hospital, in Calcutta (Kolkata) last week.
On Thursday night, masses of people, under the slogan "reclaim the night", marched through the streets of the metropolis with candles and placards in their hands to show their discontent.
A man who allegedly had some form of employment at the hospital where the woman worked has been arrested after the murder. But just outside the hospital, violent riots broke out during the night, as "between 500 and 1,000 people" rushed around and smashed furniture and equipment, according to Indian media.
The reason for the violence is unclear, but the opposition in the state of West Bengal has accused the government of trying to cover up the murder case from the start. Now, reports are circulating that vandals tried to destroy evidence at the hospital, but the police assure that they failed if they did.
The country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is participating in the condemnation of men's violence against women. In a speech on Thursday, India's national day, he means that harsh punishments are needed.
We must urgently discuss the punishments for people who commit such evil acts. They must understand that this leads to hanging, he said according to the news site Times Now.
India has the death penalty, but its implementation is rare. The last executions took place just after a high-profile case of violence against women. Four men were hanged in Delhi in 2020, after being convicted of rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in the capital area in 2012.
