Amid row over anti-rape bill in Bengal, Rijiju shared a letter from November 11, 2021, addressed to the West Bengal government, requesting the establishment of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for cases of rape and those registered under the POCSO Act.
Sharing the letter, Rijiju expressed his disappointment, stating, “I feel sad that the chief minister of West Bengal ignored her most sacred duty of providing quick justice for women and children. This letter from 2021 clearly shows it.”
“In 2018, a stringent law was passed by- Parliament to deal with heinous crimes like rape. State government must act !” he added.
The letter highlighted that 123 FTSCs, including 20 ePOCSO Courts, were allocated for West Bengal, but the state government’s consent was not received. As of May 2021, there were 28,559 pending rape and POCSO Act cases in the state.
“As per information available, there are 28559 rape and POCSO Act cases pending in the State of West Bengal as on May, 2021. As the safety and security of our women and children is of paramount concern both for the Central and State government, the need for early operationalization and robust functioning of earmarked FTSCs and ePOCSO Courts needs no special emphasis. It would be highly appreciated if you could review the matter at your level so that the consent of the State Government is expedited and the Department of Justice can consider release of funds as per scheme conditionality,” the letter read.
“Needless to say, I assure you full support on the part of the Union Government in this endeavour and am confident that with your personal intervention, the bottlenecks coming in the way for setting up and operationalization of these courts will soon get resolved,’ it added.
This criticism comes a day after the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill, which seeks to impose the death penalty on persons convicted of rape and establish a Special Task Force and dedicated special court and investigation team.
The main objective of the Bill is to enhance protection for women and children by amending and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offences, creating a safer environment for them in the state.