New Delhi: 295 eminent personalities, including former high court judges, ex-bureaucrats have demanded justice in the Kolkata rape case.

He said the rape and murder of the trainee doctor highlights the deteriorating socio-cultural landscape in Bengal and the grave threats faced by women.

In a joint statement, they said that while this incident highlights the misgovernance and lack of accountability in Kolkata, it also reflects the state government's clear tendency to protect the perpetrators rather than protect the victims. This is not an isolated incident in Bengal.

Signatures of the joint statement

Those who signed the joint statement include former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Pramod Kohli, former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, former Defence Secretary Dhanendra Kumar, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, former Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee and former Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Gopal Krishna.

The statement said that it is time for action. We demand a safer, more just society for all women. We demand that the authorities of Bengal provide justice to our sister.

Kolkata police stood as a mute spectator

The statement said that initially the rape and murder were wrongly classified as suicide. Soon after the investigation was questioned, hasty arrests were made. When the doctors were protesting peacefully, they were violently attacked by the mob. The Kolkata police stood as a mute spectator.