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Centre moves Supreme Court against Mamata govt over deployment of CISF at RG Kar Hospital
The Supreme Court on August 20 had ordered the deployment of CISF personnel at the RG Kar Hospital following a mob attack on August 14-15
The Centre on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
According to an ANI report, the Centre in its plea alleged that the on-duty CISF personnel are facing a lot of difficulties in performing duties due to non-availability of accommodation, security gadgets and paucity of transportation.
The Centre termed the alleged non-cooperation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government as an example "symptomatic of a systemic malaise", PTI reported.
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The Union government sought direction to West Bengal to extend full co-operation to the CISF and ensure full compliance, in letter and spirit, of the order dated August 20 or face contempt proceedings for wilful non-compliance.
The Supreme Court on August 20 had ordered the deployment of CISF personnel at the RG Kar Hospital following a mob attack on August 14-15.
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CISF deployment after RG Kar Hospital vandalised on Aug 15
At midnight, mob stormed the hospital where a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on August 9.
The mob vandalised the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been protesting.
“In the aftermath of the brutal incident and the demonstrations which followed, the State Government was expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order,” the top court had told the West Bengal government
"It was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was under way. We are unable to comprehend how the State was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalisation of the premises of the hospital," the top court added.
Amid the nationwide protests, the West Bengal assembly unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024’. The draft legislation seeks capital punishment for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
