In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s request for stricter central laws following the rape and murder of a young female doctor in Kolkata, the central government has stated that existing laws are already stringent enough to handle such crimes.
Mamata Banerjee recently wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging for a stronger central law to ensure exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder. In her letter, she demanded mandatory time-bound disposal of cases related to rape and murder.
However, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, responded to Banerjee, claiming that the information in her letter was “factually incorrect” and suggesting that it was an attempt to cover up delays by the West Bengal government in setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in the state.
Centre Highlights Delay in Fast Track Courts
Annapurna Devi pointed out that despite a backlog of 48,600 rape and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases in West Bengal, the state government has not yet operationalized 11 additional FTSCs that were meant to specifically handle such cases. These courts are either exclusive POCSO courts or combined FTSCs that handle both rape and POCSO cases.
The Union Minister emphasized that the guidelines under the FTSC scheme require each court to have one judicial officer and seven staff members dedicated exclusively to handling rape and POCSO cases. The central government had earlier clarified that existing judicial officers and court staff should not be given additional charges related to these courts, contradicting the West Bengal government’s stance.
Existing Laws Are Strong Enough: Centre
Annapurna Devi further noted that states and union territories have the option to engage judicial officers and court staff on a contractual basis if there is a shortage of personnel, under the FTSC scheme. She asserted that the laws enacted by the central government are comprehensive and strict enough to address crimes against women.
The Union Minister urged the West Bengal government to implement these laws in “letter and spirit,” stressing that this would strengthen the criminal justice system, ensure justice for victims or survivors, and bring offenders to justice. She also called for proper sensitization and a positive approach by all duty holders in handling such cases, adhering to the timelines set under the statutes.
This exchange of letters between the Centre and the West Bengal government comes amid nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 09
