West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the lack of response to her previous communication regarding the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor.
In her letter dated August 30, Banerjee emphasised the gravity of the situation and urged prompt central intervention, highlighting the inadequacy of the reply received from the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
“There has been no response from you on such a sensitive issue. However, a response has been received from the Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of India, which barely addresses the gravity of the issue raised in my letter. I am of the view that this generic reply does not adequately appreciate the gravity of the subject and its relevance to society,” the letter reads.
The letter was posted on his social media handle @X.
I have written this letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in connection with an earlier letter of mine to him. This is a second letter in that reference. pic.twitter.com/5GXKaX6EOZ
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 30, 2024
Responding to Union Minister Annapurna Devi’s allegations regarding the state government’s failure to implement necessary safeguards for women and children, including Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), CM Mamata said the state government has approved 10 special POCSO FTSCS, while 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated courts are functioning with full state funding.
The letter mentioned, “Furthermore, I would also mention certain initiatives already taken by our State in this area, which have been ignored in the reply. With regard to Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), 10 special POCSO Courts have been approved by the State Government. Further, 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated Courts are functioning with full State funding and the monitoring and disposal of cases is entirely in the hands of the Courts.”
The presiding officers at the FTSC further said that the process requires investigation and action from the Government of India, which, according to them, requires the intervention of PM Modi.
“As per Central government guidelines, only retired judicial officers can be posted as presiding officers in FTSCs but the Hon’ble High Court has observed that considering the gravity of the cases, permanent judicial officers need to be appointed. Investigation at the Government of India level and appropriate action thereafter, for which your intervention would be required, besides, helpline numbers 112 and 1098 are also functioning satisfactorily in the state,” the letter said.
Urging central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes, the West Bengal CM hoped for a very well-considered attention from PM Modi.
In her letter, Mamata Banerjee said, “I reiterate and sincerely request that a stringent central law and exemplary punishment for the heinous crimes of rape and murder be considered, with a mandatory provision for disposal of cases within a specific time frame by trial. I hope this matter will receive great attention from your side in the interest of our society at large.”
On 26 August, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi criticised the West Bengal government for its failure to implement necessary safety measures for women and children in the state.
In a letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the Union Minister said that 123 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) were allotted to the state but none of them are functional yet.
Earlier, on August 22, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the central government to bring in a central law and set up fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials for “sensitive” issues.
In the letter, Mamata mentioned that such “sensitive” issues need to be comprehensively addressed through stringent central legislation prescribing exemplary punishment against perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
The Bengal chief minister also suggested setting up “fast-track special courts” to deal with cases that require speedy trials.
The development comes after the trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
