Centre Dismisses Need for New Laws, Urges West Bengal to Implement Existing Legislation
In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging for stricter central laws to address heinous crimes such as rape and murder, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi has countered her claims, stating that existing laws are already stringent enough.
The correspondence follows public outrage over the August 9 rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In her letter, Banerjee had called for a mandatory time-bound disposal of rape and murder cases, emphasizing the need for stronger measures. However, the Union minister asserted that the laws currently in place, if implemented properly, are sufficient to address crimes against women.
Annapurna Devi criticized Banerjee’s letter as “factually incorrect” and suggested it aimed to “cover up delays” in the West Bengal government’s implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) meant to handle cases of rape and sexual abuse under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Devi highlighted that West Bengal has yet to operationalize 11 additional FTSCs, even though there are 48,600 pending rape and POCSO cases in the state.
The minister also addressed Banerjee’s comments on the need for permanent judicial officers in FTSCs, clarifying that under the current scheme, one judicial officer and seven staff members are dedicated exclusively to rape and POCSO cases. Furthermore, she pointed out that the state could hire additional personnel on a contractual basis if there were staff shortages.
Devi concluded by urging the West Bengal government to properly implement central legislation, emphasizing that doing so would enhance the criminal justice system, ensure timely justice for victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.
(With inputs from agency)
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