On August 9, 2024, Moumita Debnath, a second-year postgraduate trainee doctor in chest medicine, was found dead at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The autopsy confirmed that she had been raped and murdered. This incident has sparked significant outrage and nationwide protests, with many demanding a thorough investigation and better safety measures for women and medical professionals.

Her parents reported that Moumita had recently started making regular diary entries, noting that some colleagues were overburdening her with additional work. Some colleagues mentioned that “punishment overwork” that was above and beyond the 36-hour shifts was a standard practice to make physicians comply with directives from superiors.

A recent article in the Times of India, published on August 18, 2024, highlighted several questions Moumita’s parents and colleagues raised: Did the 31-year-old trainee physician uncover something she wasn’t supposed to know? Did she pay the price for witnessing these “secrets”? Was her rape and murder planned to silence her? How did the accused, a civic volunteer, know she was alone in the seminar hall then?

We hope that the Central Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry will answer all the necessary questions. As an organization, UCANA stands in solidarity with women and our medical colleagues in India, hoping that authorities will serve justice and take the actions required to prevent such tragedies in the future.