Thousands of women marched across several Indian cities overnight and Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for strict punishment for crimes against women as outrage and protests against the gruesome rape and murder of a doctor escalated.
Holding candles and posters that said "reclaim the night," women held marches Wednesday across cities including the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, where the rape and murder of a trainee doctor last week has also triggered protests by fellow medics, demanding better and safer working conditions.
Many government hospitals in cities across India suspended all services except emergency departments earlier this week as junior doctors sat outside in protest, demanding justice for the victim.