Thousands of people, many of them with flaming torches in their hands, criss-crossed the city on foot on Friday with one voice on their lips — justice for the young doctor raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The rally began from Hiland Park on EM Bypass around 4pm. More people joined in at every stop as the marchers passed by Mukundapur, Ruby Crossing, Science City, Chingrighata, Beleghata, Sealdah, Mullickbazar, Bhowanipore, Esplanade, Central Avenue before culminating at Shyambazar after midnight.

The route was planned in a way that institutions like NRS Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, SSKM Hospital, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were on the marchers’ map.

A forum of several organisations, had given the call for the rally.

“We want to send a message of solidarity to the junior doctors. The mashal is a symbol of light at the end of a dark tunnel. The road to justice may be tough. But we will complete the journey. The world is watching us,” said Udita Nag, a doctor at a private hospital and one of the organisers of the march.

The rally took a toll on the traffic.

As the rally moved on the Ruby-bound flank of EM Bypass, cars headed north were routed through a narrow stretch of the road under the Metro viaduct. As the rally grew in size, service roads were used for north-bound traffic.

A bulk of the Ultadanga-bound traffic on EM Bypass had to be diverted via the Prince Anwar Shah Road connector towards Gariahat.

The Garia-bound traffic on EM Bypass was relatively unaffected. Traffic on several major thoroughfares slowed down as the rally kept moving forward.