RG Kar case: 16 days gone, where is justice, Mamata asks CBI

Kolkata: Hitting back at the BJP, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), stating that it has been 16 days since the investigation began, yet “where is the justice?”

Launching a fierce attack on the BJP over the ‘Bangla Bandh’ and Tuesday’s ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (march to Nabanna), Banerjee claimed that the BJP’s bandh was part of a “preplanned plot aimed at inciting violence. We seek justice and a return to peace”.

Moreover, asserting that Bengal has zero tolerance for incidents of rape, Banerjee on Wednesday announced a special session of the state Assembly next week to bring a Bill for ensuring capital punishment to rapists.

The state Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to introduce the Bill aimed at preventing rape and ensuring stricter punishments for such crimes.

Senior Cabinet member and state Agriculture Minister Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay said he would request Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay to convene a special two-day Assembly session from September 2.

Questioning the pace of the CBI probe into the rape and murder case of the junior doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Banerjee while addressing a public event to mark the foundation day of Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing at Mayo Road, said: “I asked for five days, but the case was sent to the CBI. They don’t want justice. They want a delay. It has been 16 days, where is justice?” she asked while slamming BJP on several issues like ‘Nabanna Abhijan” and Bangla bandh.

Advocating for the Bill, Banerjee said that she would urge the Speaker to call a special session. “I will tell the Speaker to call the special session so that an amendment to existing laws be passed in the state Assembly to ensure capital punishment to convicted rapists,” she added.

Slamming PM Modi, Banerjee reminded the BJP that they had not taken action in the series of assaults on women that took place in the BJP-ruled states. “Children were assaulted in Maharashtra, attacks have happened in Assam, UP. The unrest in Manipur is still not resolved. Why PM Modi did not do anything? He did not even visit Manipur once,” Banerjee said.

She also referred to the allegation of harassment against Governor CV Ananda Bose brought by a female staff member.

“I have provided her with a job in another place,” she said, referring to the female staff.

She also warned that if Governor CV Ananda Bose does not give his assent to the Bill after being sent to Raj Bhawan, they would stage a dharna outside Raj Bhawan.

“We will send the Bill to the Governor for his nod. We will stage dharna outside Raj Bhavan if he sits on the amended Bill or forwards it to the President of India for ratification,” Banerjee thundered at the rally.

She also instructed the TMCP to hold a sit-in demonstration next Friday outside every college in the state demanding capital punishment for the culprits in the RG Kar alleged rape and murder case. On Saturday, the Trinamool Congress’ women’s wing of the party will hold a similar programme at the block level to create pressure on the Centre to pass legislation for capital punishment of convicted rapists.

Meanwhile, state Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said that the Bill will be tabled on September 3 and the state will fix a time frame within which the trial and death sentence would be pronounced.

Launching a vitriolic attack on the saffron party over ‘Bangla Bandh’ and also Tuesday’s ‘Nabanna Abjijan’ (march to Nabanna), Banerjee said: “There was a preplanned plot behind calling bandh by BJP as they want bodies. We want justice; we want peace to be restored.”

Referring to the RG Kar Medical College incident she said: “We want the culprits to be hanged. They (BJP) are trying to dilute our demand for justice by hatching conspiracies to defame Bengal. Even on Wednesday, the bandh supporters beat up police, damaged buses, and delayed railway signals.”

Banerjee also called for a dharna on Saturday to demand the death penalty for the accused in the alleged rape and murder case.

“On August 31, I urge all blocs to protest demanding capital punishment. And on September 1, I urge women to protest, demanding capital punishment and a change in the law,” she said.

Meanwhile, the number of arrests in connection to the Nabanna march rose to 147.