A fierce political discussion has been sparked by the terrible rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, with a special focus on new anti-rape laws in West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came under fire from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for allegedly exploiting the situation to further her political agenda by introducing the “Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024.”
Banerjee was accused by Rijiju of not following through on current measures designed to speed up the legal process in rape cases. He distributed a November 11, 2018, letter in which he charged the West Bengal government with failing to implement a central program created by the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2018. The goal of this plan was to establish Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for the expeditious trial and settlement of POCSO Act and rape cases. Rijiju asserted that the state government had not consented to this plan, which included the establishment of 123 FTSCs and 20 ePOCSO Courts, despite many communications in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The Aparajita Woman and Child Bill was unanimously enacted by the West Bengal legislative assembly at the same moment as the critique was made. The proposed law calls for life in jail without the possibility of release for other offenders and the death penalty for rape defendants in the event that their victim passes away or is placed in a vegetative state. The measure also calls for accelerated investigations, mandating that rape probes be finished in 21 days, and it requires that a special task force made up of female officers lead the investigations.
With the doctor’s murder, there were large-scale protests and the law was expedited. The opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said that despite the BJP’s backing for the bill, Banerjee was using it as a political ploy to quell public outrage and protests over the horrific crime.
Banerjee referred to the measure as “historic” during the legislative debate and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials because she believed they had failed to pass legislation protecting women. The bill intends to strengthen legal protections against sexual assault and boost the effectiveness of the administration of justice, but it still needs the president and governor of Bengal’s consent.
Banerjee also demanded the resignation of BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, who had impeded the bill’s passing, amidst the parliamentary unrest. The government’s response to the public uproar and efforts to fortify legal frameworks to address crimes against women and children is reflected in the introduction of the bill.
SOURCE :
HINDUSTAN TIMES
