In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent appeal for stricter central legislation and the establishment of fast-track courts to address the growing incidents of rape across the country, the Union government has pointed to the non-operation of the fast-track courts allocated to the state. The government highlighted that despite Bengal being allocated 123 fast-track courts to handle cases of rape and child abuse, none of these were functional until recently.
Minister of Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, addressed the issue in a letter to the Chief Minister, stating, "The State of West Bengal was allocated a total of 123 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including 20 exclusive POCSO Courts and 103 combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO Act cases. However, none of these courts had been operationalised till mid-June 2023", NDTV reported.
She further noted that out of the revised target of 17 FTSCs, only six exclusive POCSO Courts had been made functional as of 30 June 2024, despite a backlog of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in the state. The Centre urged the state government to take immediate action to operationalise the remaining courts.
Annapurna also pointed out that the ruling TMC government is yet to implement a national helpline set up by the Union government to respond to distress calls from women or children.
"Recognizing the need for Helplines as first responders in the golden hour to a woman or child in distress, Women Helpline (WHL) 181, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) -112, Child Helpline 1098, Cyber Crime Helpline - 1930 have been put in place in the last few years. The WHL and Child Helplines have been integrated with ERSS also. But, unfortunately the people of the State of West Bengal cannot utilize this facility as the State Government has not implemented the WHL despite many requests and reminders from Gol," she pointed out, as quoted by NDTV.
The letter also emphasised the importance of effective implementation of the existing legislative framework under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 which prescribes stringent punishments for crimes against women. The Women and Child Development Minister reiterated that while the laws are stringent enough, the responsibility for their implementation lies with the state government.
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's Letter To PM Narendra Modi
This exchange follows the nationwide outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata earlier this month. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for exemplary punishment for those involved in such heinous crimes and suggesting the establishment of special fast-track courts to expedite trials. Mamata's letter highlighted the alarming frequency of rape cases across India, with nearly 90 cases reported daily, and called for a comprehensive approach to address this issue.
The state government has faced criticism for its handling of the R.G. Kar Medical College case, leading to widespread protests and strikes by doctors and citizens. The Supreme Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the incident, has since established a National Task Force to recommend measures to improve the safety and working conditions of healthcare professionals.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee also voiced the need for stricter laws and urged all state governments to pressure the Centre into enacting a comprehensive anti-rape law that mandates the completion of trials and convictions within 50 days, followed by severe punishment.