Police in the Indian state of West Bengal on Friday arrested hundreds of protesters angry over the rape and murder of a medic last week, while a doctors' association urged more than a million colleagues nationwide to stop work for a day.

Police and local officials said blockades by the protesters disrupted public transport in several parts of the state. More than 1,500 people were detained.

The victim, a 31-year-old doctor, was found dead last Friday on a blood-soaked mattress in the medical college where she worked in Kolkata. She had settled down for a nap in a college lecture hall after working for nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift, staff at the R. G. Kar Medical College told Reuters.

Doctors say the circumstances of the rape highlight the vulnerability of medics left without proper protection and facilities.

India’s Prime minister Narendra Modi has demanded swift punishment for those responsible for ‘monstrous behavior’ against women.

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