President Droupadi Murmu has reacted strongly to the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. On Wednesday, she expressed her shock and distress, saying, “No civilized society can tolerate such atrocities against daughters and sisters.” She added, “Even while students, doctors, and citizens are protesting in Kolkata, criminals are still out there searching for victims. This must stop.”

President Murmu also spoke about crimes against women, stating to PTI-Bhasha, “Society needs to honestly and fairly self-examine. People need to ask themselves difficult questions. Often, people with disgusting mindsets see women as lesser—less powerful, less capable, less intelligent.”

She criticized society’s tendency to forget such incidents, saying, “After the Nirbhaya case, countless rape incidents have been forgotten by society. This collective tendency to forget is vile. A society afraid to face its history relies on forgetting.”

President Murmu emphasized the need for a united front against such issues, saying, “It is time for India to fully confront its history. We need to collectively address this issue to end it at the start.”

The rape and murder took place on the night of August 8-9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The police arrested a civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy on August 10 based on CCTV footage. Former medical college principal Sandeep Ghosh was also taken into custody. The CBI is investigating the case and has conducted polygraph tests on key suspects, including Sanjay Roy, Sandeep Ghosh, and four trainee doctors.