Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: The Central government has issued a strong response over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was Bengal CM’s second letter urging urging for stricter central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder, following the Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case. On Friday, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, called on the West Bengal government to enforce the laws "in letter and spirit." 


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In her letter to the Chief Minister, Annapurna Devi stated that the information in the CM's letter is "factually incorrect" and suggested that it appears to be an attempt to "cover up delays" in the operationalization of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in the state. 


According to Devi, West Bengal government has yet to operationalize 11 additional Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) designated for handling cases of rape and POCSO offenses, despite a backlog of 48,600 pending cases. 


“With regard to the information contained in your letter about the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) and exclusive POCSO Courts in West Bengal, I may mention that according to information received from the Calcutta High Court, West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) covered under the Central Government Scheme as referred in my earlier D.O. letter dated 25.08.2024,” the letter read. 


The union minister noted that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita already prescribes stringent punishments for rape, including a minimum of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, which can be extended to life imprisonment or even the death penalty. 


This development follows Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's letter to Prime Minister Modi on Friday, where she renewed her call for stricter central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder.  


Banerjee, who had previously written to Modi in the wake of the nationwide outcry over the August 9 rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, also urged for a mandatory time-bound disposal of rape and rape-murder cases.