Rape-Murder Victim’s Statue Sparks Controversy

Statue of Kolkata Rape-Murder Victim Unveiled at RG Kar Hospital, Sparks Controversy

Junior doctors at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have sparked outrage after installing a statue of a trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9. The statue, titled ‘Cry of the Hour,’ represents the agony and horror experienced by the victim in her final moments, as described by the artist Asit Sain.

The statue, which depicts a woman crying, was placed near the building housing the principal’s office. “This is not the victim’s statue but a symbol of the pain she endured and our ongoing protests,” a junior doctor explained. However, many have condemned the statue as “disrespectful” and “disturbing” on social media.

One user tweeted, “Want her statue? Do it differently, not with her anguished face. This is highly disturbing.”
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh also criticized the installation, citing Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit revealing a victim’s identity.

However, Dr. Debdutt of RG Kar hospital defended the statue, saying it was a symbolic sculpture aimed at showing the suffering endured by the victim.

The junior doctors have been protesting for increased safety measures in hospitals and resumed their strike, accusing the West Bengal government of failing to implement earlier promises.