A cycle rally of 100 people, 100 seconds of silence and a protest gathering by junior doctors on Sunday marked the passing of 100 days since the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Many protesters expressed disappointment at the progress of the CBI’s investigation into the rape and murder.

Though Saturday was the 100th day since the brutal crime, the protests were planned on Sunday so more people could come, said a junior doctor.

Abhaya Mancha, a forum of doctors and others, organised the cycle rally and the event at the Shyambazar five-point crossing where protesters observed 100 seconds of silence.

The protest gathering at 9pm, also at the five-point crossing, was organised by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front.

The cycle rally started from Sodepur around 5.30pm and arrived at Shyambazar around 8.30pm, covering a distance of 14km along BT Road.

“The parents of Abhaya (the name by which the rape-and-murder victim is referred to) handed a torch to the cyclists. This was a symbolic gesture. We carried the torch from Sodepur to Shyambazar,” said Tamonas Chaudhuri, a senior doctor and an organiser of the rally.

The torch was carried in a roofless car at the head of the rally.

“On reaching Shyambazar, we lit 100 torches and handed them to cyclists from various districts. They carried the torches to their districts. The flames of protest must keep burning,” he said.

Most of the torches were lit under the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Shyambazar five-point crossing.

Among the cyclists was a group from the Kolkata Cycle Samaj, a group of amateur cyclists that trains people to ride bicycles and promotes cycling.

“Most of our women members are deeply disturbed by what happened to the junior doctor. They have been part of the protests for many days now. They wanted to join the cycle rally,” said Sunish Deb, a trainer and a member of the organisation.

The cyclists wore T-shirts with the slogan “Shok Noy Droho (Protest, not sorrow)” written on them.

Earlier in the evening, at 6pm, protesters observed 100 seconds of silence in memory of the rape-and-murder victim at the Shyambazar intersection. A small dais was set up on Bhupen Bose Avenue, nearthe crossing.

Protesters sang songs, recited poems and enacted skits, the series of performances interspersed with speeches. Frequent slogans vowing not to leave the roads till justice is delivered were raised.

“There is a need to keep raising the demand for justice. Sunday’s protests were part of that effort,” said Soma Chaudhuri, a school teacher and a member of the Abhaya Mancha.

Later in the evening, the junior doctors’ front organised the gathering.

They walked from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to the Shyambazar crossing. A street-corner meeting that started at 9pm continued till late into the night.

“More than 100 days have passed since the rape and murder but we still do not know what was the motive for the crime. There are also many grey areas surrounding the probe,” said Aniket Kar, a junior doctor at Medical College Kolkata.

“The CBI’s counsel told the Supreme Court that the crime scene had been altered by the time they took over the probe. They should explain whether that means the investigation has been compromised. These are doubts in people’s minds that need to be cleared,” said Kar.

Kar said the recent comments by the lone accused chargesheeted for the rape and murder, Sanjay Roy, suggest that the real culprits are being shielded.