Following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee female doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata, the situation has escalated. The CBI is actively investigating the case and has already conducted polygraph tests on several suspects, including the arrested individual. Meanwhile, the BJP has mounted a relentless attack on Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding her resignation. Amid this backdrop, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi penned a letter in response to Banerjee's demands for stronger laws and swifter punishment for rapists, outlining the central government's steps taken in this direction.
Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for tougher laws and strict punishment for rapists. Acknowledging the alarming frequency of rape cases across the country, Banerjee highlighted that, according to available statistics, around 90 rape cases occur daily, with many victims tragically losing their lives.
Responding to Banerjee's letter, BJP MP and Union Minister Annapurna Devi remarked, “Regarding Fast Track Special Courts, a centrally sponsored scheme (with a 60:40 sharing basis) was launched in October 2019 for the expedited trial and disposal of pending cases relating to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. As of June 30, 2024, 752 FTSCs, including 409 POCSO Courts across 30 states/UTs, have resolved more than 253,000 cases since the scheme's inception. West Bengal was allotted a total of 123 FTSCs under this scheme, including 20 POCSO Courts and 103 combined FTSCs handling both rape and POCSO Act cases. However, none of these courts were operational as of mid-June 2023.”
The Union Minister further stated in her letter, “West Bengal expressed its willingness to participate in the scheme via a letter dated June 8, 2023, committing to the initiation of 7 FTSCs. Under the revised target, 17 FTSCs were allocated to West Bengal, but only 6 POCSO courts have become operational by June 30, 2024. Despite having 48,600 pending rape and POCSO cases, the state government has not taken steps to activate the remaining FTSC. The responsibility for further action lies with the state government.”
