KOLKATA: The West Bengal Government will introduce the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024 on Tuesday in the state Legislative Assembly for consideration and passing.
The Bill follows widespread protests across Kolkata and Bengal following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the intervening night of August 8 and 9.
The Bill includes the provision of death penalty for the person committing rape and inflicting injury which causes death or causes the victim to be in a vegetative state. The Bill also includes a provision for time-bound investigation in rape cases and proposes to penalise publishing without permission any matter related to court proceedings in such cases.
The proposed bar on court proceedings gains importance in the light of the negative coverage the state government has been getting in media reports on the proceedings in the High Court as well as the Supreme Court in the RG Kar rape-murder case. The government’s lawyers have been pulled up by judges in both the courts.
Provisions for death and fines as well as imprisonment for the remainder of the convict’s life will also be applicable in cases of rape, gang-rape and also repeat offenders. Any person who discloses the identity of the victim will be punished with imprisonment for three to five years and a fine.
Printing and publishing of any matter related to the court proceedings without permission will be punishable with imprisonment for three to five years. Those convicted of causing grievous hurt by use of acid will be imprisoned for life. All these offences, except for disclosure of victim’s identity and reporting on court proceedings without permission, will be non-bailable.
Monday was the inaugural day of a two-day special session to table and pass the Bill. After Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay rejected the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s demand for making obituary reference to the deceased medic, a heated exchange of words followed.
Ruling TMC MLAs accused the B’JP leader of politicising a shocking incident of rape and murder of a woman, instead of supporting the state’s demand for capital punishment for rapists.
‘Financial misconduct’: RG Kar’s ex-principal, three others held.
The CBI late on Monday evening arrested Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and three others in connection with the “financial misconduct” at the establishment, official sources said.
The three others who have been arrested are Biplav Singha (52); Suman Hazara (46), both hospital vendors; and Afsar Ali, (44), part of Ghosh’s security.
He was taken to the CBI Special Crime Branch office, they said. His arrest came after the agency questioned him for more than two weeks.
Ghosh is the former principal of the Kolkata college where a junior doctor was allegedly raped and murdered last month.
The CBI has charged Ghosh with criminal conspiracy, cheating, dishonesty and violations under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, related to financial misconduct at RG Kar Medical College. The FIR was filed after the CBI took over the case from Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police following orders of the Calcutta High Court.
Ghosh was the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from February 2021 to September 2023. Though he was transferred in October 2023, he returned to his role at the hospital within a month. He remained at this position until the tragic incident last month, which led to a nation-wide uproar.