News

RG Kar Hospital: TMC pushes for new law, BJP corners Mamata govt over PGT doctor's suspected rape and murder

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 11 Aug 2024, 04:40 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: Even as massive outrage continues over thesuspected rape and murder of a second-year female medical student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Hospital, politics, like another incident, crept in this one too with the ruling Trinamool Congress now putting the ball in the Bharatiya Janata Party's court, demanding a law to fast-track trials and ensure exemplary punishment in such cases.

The BJP, on the other hand, has targeted the Mamata Banerjee government over the heinous crime and pointed to the degrading law and order situation in the state.

"You can hide the data in the National Crime Records. But the kind of incidents that are happening prove that they (women) are not in a good situation," Union Minister and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has said.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has demanded a CBI inquiry into the RG Kar Hospital incident.

"Instead of addressing the issue seriously, the state government has formed an 11-member inquiry committee, which bizarrely includes some interns. It seems the government is either trying to cover up its negligence or is not taking this matter seriously," he has said.

The Left, too, has joined the bandwagon demanding a CBI probe. CPM state secretary Mohd Salim has said, "The City of Joy has turned into a City of bhoy (fear). No one is safe under this Trinamool Congress government, the whole country is condemning the gruesome incident."

The Congress, Trinamool's ally in Delhi, has joined the protests with party workers joining the doctors' protests and demanding that their representatives be included in the inquiry committee.

Also read: RG Kar medical student rape-murder: Mamata Banerjee says 'inhuman crime, no objection to CBI probe'

Trinamool's Response

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured that she will seek death penalty for the perpetrator. While she mostly opposes CBI investigation in cases related to Bengal, the Trinamool chief this time has said her government has no objections to a central agency probe.

The state government, she has said, has "nothing to hide".

Speaking to ABP Ananda, Banerjee said, "This was an inhuman and deplorable crime. I feel as if I have lost a family member. We can never defend such a crime. There can be no leniency for this kind of crime."

"I stand by the doctors. Their demands are completely justified... The role of the hospital authorities will also be probed and if negligence is proved, action will be taken," she added.

Meanwhile, Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has said those convicted in such cases should be given "capital punishment or encounter".

"The Centre should bring in an ordinance calling for immediate action against such culprits. This could be made into an amendment after six months," he said, assuring that the Trinamool will support such a law. He hoped that the other Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left, would have no objection either.

Banerjee said such a law would prevent prolonged trials that can last five to six years and save taxpayers' money. "These rapists, who don't deserve to live in society, should be dealt with either through encounter or by hanging," he said.

Progress in the case so far:

Earlier, one person has been detained in connection with the case even as anger and protest over the incident spread.

According to reports, the detained person is a civic volunteer and had regular access to visit the hospital. He has been charged under sections relating to rape and murder.

The case against the accused is based on circumstantial evidence and testimonies of doctors on night duty at the time of the incident, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal has said.

The body of the 31-year-old post-graduate student had injury marks and was recovered under mysterious conditions.

The victim hailed from Sodepur near Kolkata and was pursuing her post-graduation in Chest Medicine. She was on duty on Thursday night.

The initial autopsy report found her body had several injury marks.

The report states that the victim was bleeding from eyes, mouth and private parts. Injury marks were visible on the face, lips, neck, nails, stomach, right-hand ring finger, left leg and left leg ankle, reported The Telegraph.