Defying a court order, junior doctors in Kolkata continue their protests against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a government hospital in the city.

The discovery of the body of the 31-year-old woman on August 9 sparked nationwide outrage in India.

A hospital volunteer was arrested for the crime, which is now being investigated by a federal agency.

While protests have died down in other parts of India, doctors in Calcutta say they will stand firm until their demands are met.

Protesters have set up camp in front of the state health ministry headquarters and made five key demands: justice for the victims, the dismissal of senior police officers and improved security for health workers, to name a few.

A deadline set by the Supreme Court for them to return to work expired on Tuesday evening. The court is currently negotiate a case in connection with the matter.

The protests have put the government of West Bengal state – whose capital is Kolkata – on the defensive. Courts have accused the local administration and police of failings in handling the case, which they have denied.

The state government has said that 23 people have died because they were unable to access medical care during the strike. Reports on local channels and videos on social media also show patients claiming that the absence of doctors has affected treatment.

However, the protesting doctors say they have ensured that emergency services are not affected.

“The senior doctors are making all the efforts they can,” said Dr Amrita Bhattacharya of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front.

“We are providing medical care via telemedicine from the protest sites. They cannot replace hospital facilities, and we are not claiming that they can, but we are there to treat patients.”

On Wednesday, authorities rejected the doctors’ conditions for negotiations, one of which was to broadcast their meeting with state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee live on television.

Organizers say that while protests are taking place across the state, the majority of them are taking place in Kolkata.

The Indian Express reports that more than 300 rallies were held in Calcutta last month, “many of them Midnight events organized by women“.

Some of the protests also escalated into chaotic political rallies, with clashes between police and demonstrators.

In Kolkata, doctors are often joined by other health workers and people with no connection to the profession as they shout slogans, sing and dance.

Behind her, several banners and posters can be seen demanding justice for the victim. Indian law prohibits giving victims of sexual crimes their names, so many protesters and news reports call her Abhaya, which means fearless.

Protesting doctors say they are shocked by the brutal murder of their colleague at their workplace.

Dr. Bhattacharya says that her mother used to call her on her way to work and ask if she had reached the hospital safely.

“When I get to the hospital, I’ll be fine. That’s how we’ve been conditioned to think,” she said. “So how can we go back to work knowing that the people who murdered our colleague may be walking free right next to us?”

On Wednesday, a state minister in West Bengal – which is ruled by the Trinamool Congress Party – claimed the protests had been politicised by their rivals, but the doctors insist they do not belong to any political party or ideology.

Dr Sumantra Dey said the protests would be attended by participants from all walks of life as well as members of various political parties in their private capacities.

“Right now, our mentors are senior physicians. We ask them what the right path is for us and then decide whether to listen to them,” he said.

This is a united front, he says, using a football analogy to illustrate his point.

“We may be Barcelona, ​​we may be Manchester United, but here we are playing for India.”