Kolkata: About 50 senior faculty members at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital stepped down in a mass resignation on Tuesday escalating the protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, media reports said.

The senior doctors resigned amid the junior doctors' 'fast unto death' protests demanding justice for the victim and changes in several administrative posts.

The junior doctors launched their hunger strike on Saturday night after the state government failed to meet their 24-hour deadline for addressing their demands, which expired at 8:30 pm that evening.

Their agitation began earlier on Friday with a sit-in demonstration following an alleged assault by Kolkata Police personnel.

To ensure transparency, the protesting medics have installed CCTV cameras at the site where the hunger strike is taking place.

The six doctors leading the fast include Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, Anustup Mukhopadhyay, Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra.

Public support has grown, with large crowds and a few celebrities joining the protest since Saturday night.

Despite calling off their "total cease work" strike, which had severely impacted healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals, the junior doctors remain firm in their demands.

The protesters highlighted that securing justice for their colleague, who was brutally raped and murdered within the RG Kar premises while on duty, remains their primary goal, the eport said.

They also listed nine other demands, including the removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, accountability for alleged administrative failures, and systemic reforms.

Their demands include a centralised referral system for hospitals, improved monitoring of bed vacancies, and task forces to ensure provisions for essential facilities like CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms, according to the report.

The doctors are also calling for increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and the swift filling of vacancies for healthcare workers.

The junior doctors' initial protest began after the rape and murder at Kar Medical College and Hospital on the intervening night of August 8 and 9.

After a 42-day strike, they ended their protest on September 21, following assurances from the state government to address their concerns.

However, with the government’s lack of follow-through, the doctors have resumed their agitation.