BJP and TMC are face to face over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. TMC has called for a dharna on Saturday in protest against BJP’s Bengal bandh. Party workers from every block will participate in this dharna. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced this dharna of TMC on Wednesday.
Announcing this at the foundation day program of the TMC’s student wing, he said that the BJP called the bandh deliberately. They want to see dead bodies on the streets of Bengal. Dharnas and rallies will be held on August 31 to protest against this, while on September 1, women including girl students will sit on a dharna demanding death penalty for the accused in this case and amendment in the existing laws. The TMC student union protested outside colleges on August 30 demanding death penalty for rape offenders.
‘The bill will be discussed in the meeting’
At the same time, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said that in response to BJP’s Bengal bandh, TMC will stage a sit-in in every block on Saturday and it will be decided in the committee meeting on September 2 when the bill related to punishment for rape will be presented in the special session of the Assembly. TMC MP Sayani Ghosh said that if BJP calls for a bandh, then now TMC has also decided that it will also respond by taking to the streets.
Union minister hit back at Mamata
Meanwhile, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi has written a letter to PM Modi in retaliation to Mamata Banerjee’s letters. In the letter, the Women and Child Development Minister has said that 11 fast track special courts are not operational in West Bengal. These fast track courts work to provide justice in serious rape and POCSO cases.
This letter is written to correct the information given in your letter regarding the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) and Special POCSO Courts in West Bengal. According to the information received from the Calcutta High Court, West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTSC). This is not equal to the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) covered under the Central Government scheme. This is also recorded in my previous letter (25-08-2024).
Fast Track Courts are established and funded by the State Governments in consultation with the respective High Courts to deal with a variety of cases, such as civil cases involving senior citizens, women, children, persons with disabilities, victims affected by HIV-AIDS and other life-threatening diseases, and cases relating to land acquisition and property/rent disputes pending for more than 5 years, including heinous crimes.
A total of 81,141 cases were pending in the fast track courts in West Bengal as of June 30, 2024. Whereas, Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) are exclusively dedicated to dealing with rape and POCSO Act cases.
Despite 48,600 rape and POCSO cases pending in West Bengal, the state has not made the additional 11 FTSCs operational. These could be special POCSO courts as per the state’s requirement or joint FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO cases. The information given in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect. It seems that the state has taken this step to hide the delay in making the FTSCs operational.
FAIMA’s protest at Jantar Mantar
Amidst all this, Dr. Suvarnakar Dutta, Vice President of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and Senior Resident Doctor of AIIMS New Delhi, has announced a massive protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
He said on Friday that we are organising a massive peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on August 31 to demand justice for our colleague at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal and will demand a centralised security act for healthcare professionals from the central government to prevent violence… Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on September 5, I urge doctors to join us in the protest at Jantar Mantar from 3 pm to 5 pm.
He said that we want to show our strength to the world and we are united in demanding justice for our sister. We demand increased security in hospitals across the country…”
NHRC issued notice to Kolkata Police
At the same time, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Kolkata Police Commissioner for the alleged use of excessive and brutal force on August 27 against the protesters who were demonstrating demanding justice for the victim in the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case. The commission issued this notice on Thursday after a complaint by an Aapi Vyas.
In his complaint, Vyas has alleged that during the “Nabanna Abhijan” protest organised in Kolkata on August 27 by students demanding justice in the RG Kar Medical College case, “the police used excessive and brutal force” on the protesters during their peaceful demonstration. The police also arrested more than 200 protesting students.
What happened on the night of 8-9 August
Sanjay Roy, the accused of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, went inside RG Hospital four times on different pretexts on the night of 8th and 9th. He came out of the hospital after roaming around inside three times, but it is alleged that by the time he came out of the hospital for the fourth and last time, he had already raped and murdered the trainee doctor. Investigation revealed that Sanjay Roy had also gone to a red light area near the hospital on the night of the incident and while returning from there, he molested a girl on the way.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)