India's top police authority took over the investigation Wednesday into the rape and murder of a young nurse, a crime that sparked outrage and prompted doctors at public hospitals to go on strike.
The body of the 31-year-old woman was found on Friday, suffering from multiple injuries, in a public hospital where she worked in Kolkata, capital of the state of West Bengal.
The autopsy confirmed rape and homicide.
The Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the elite Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday in a bid to "instill public confidence."
In a petition to the court, the young woman's parents said they suspected their daughter was the victim of gang rape, according to Indian channel NDTV.
Doctors working in government hospitals in various Indian states have suspended non-emergency care for an "indefinite" period, demanding justice and greater safety at their workplaces.
Police arrested a man who worked at the same hospital as the victim, helping patients in queues, but the officers were accused of mishandling the case.
Sexual violence against women is widespread in India, with an average of nearly 90 rapes reported per day in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people.
This latest attack has reawakened memories of the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2022.
The case, which sparked massive protests, became a revelation of the inability of conservative Indian society to deal with sexual violence against women.
Under public pressure, the government enacted harsher sentences for rapists, and even the death penalty for repeat offenders.
New offences have been introduced, including harassment, and prison sentences for officials who fail to record rape complaints.
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