In response to the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month, the West Bengal Assembly is holding a two-day special session starting today. The state government is set to introduce a new anti-rape legislation, the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’. This proposed Bill aims to impose capital punishment on rape convicts if their crimes result in the victim’s death or a permanent vegetative state.
The Bill has sparked controversy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) planning to oppose it. The BJP argues that the legislation is a political maneuver to divert attention from the government’s failures in handling the situation.
The situation surrounding the case has further intensified with the recent arrest of the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended the principal following a 15-day interrogation related to the tragic rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee on August 9. The arrest comes after allegations of financial misconduct linked to the institution surfaced, highlighted by complaints from the hospital’s former deputy superintendent, Dr. Akhtar Ali.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), which has been actively protesting, will hold a pen-down strike today. The protests, which included a march to the Lalbazar police headquarters on Monday, demand the resignation of Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal. The doctors have accused the city police of inadequate action against vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14.
The political and social turbulence surrounding the case underscores the urgency of legislative and administrative responses to address both the heinous crime and the institutional failures that have been brought to light.