West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time, urging for central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes such as rape and rape-murder. Banerjee’s call for stricter laws comes after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital on August 9.
Banerjee expressed concern over the lack of response to her previous letter and criticized the reply from the Minister of Women and Child Development as insufficient. She noted that the reply “barely” addressed the gravity of the issue and failed to appreciate the seriousness and societal relevance of the subject.
Banerjee Highlights Need for Judicial Reforms in POCSO and FTSC Courts
In her letter, Banerjee highlighted that the West Bengal government has approved 10 exclusive POCSO courts and operates 88 fast-track special courts (FTSCs) and 62 POCSO-designated courts, all funded by the state. However, she pointed out that the monitoring and disposal of cases are entirely in the hands of the courts, and current Central government guidelines restrict the appointment of permanent judicial officers in these courts. She urged the Prime Minister to intervene for suitable action.
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Banerjee also mentioned that emergency helplines like 112 and 1098, along with Dial-100, are functioning well in the state. She reiterated her request for stringent central legislation and mandatory provisions for timely case disposal by trial authorities, emphasizing the importance of these measures for the safety of society.
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Earlier, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre criticized the West Bengal government for allegedly failing to implement essential safety measures for women and girls. The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, stated that West Bengal has not established the remaining 11 fast-track special courts despite a backlog of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases and has also failed to implement key emergency helplines like the Women Helpline (WHL) and the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS).