"Encounter Or Hanging": Trinamool's New Law Push Amid Row Over Rape-Murder

Amid massive outrage over a doctor's rape and murder at a state-run hospital in Kolkata, the ruling Trinamool Congress has put the ball in the BJP's court, pushing for a law to fast-track trials and ensure exemplary punishment in such cases. The BJP, on the other hand, has pulled all the stops to corner the Mamata Banerjee government.

BJP's Goes All-Out Against Trinamool

The main Opposition BJP has targeted the Mamata Banerjee government over the heinous crime and said the situation in Bengal regarding safety of women is not good. "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 death of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"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 demanded 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. A video shared by news agency ANI shows Congress workers joining the doctors' protests and demanding that their representatives be included in the inquiry committee.

How Has Trinamool Responded

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured that she will seek death penalty for the perpetrator. Known to oppose CBI investigation into cases related to Bengal, the Trinamool chief has in this case said her government has no objections to investigation by a central agency. The state government, she has said, has "nothing to hide".

Ms 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.

Mr 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.

How Far Has Probe Progressed

Police have made one arrest in this connection and sent the accused to a 14-day police custody. Reports say the accused is a civic volunteer. He has been charged under sections relating to rape and murder. The case against the accused in based on circumstantial evidence and testimonies of doctors on night-duty at the time of the incident, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal has said.

"This is a heinous crime, and the arrested person is allegedly involved based on circumstantial evidence, including accounts of the other doctors present during night-duty hours," he told the media.

The top cop said police will ensure that the accused gets the maximum punishment if the charges are proved in court.