Assam CM Criticizes Mamata Banerjee Over Kolkata Rape-Murder Case Amid Widespread Protests

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticizes West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over the delayed justice in the Kolkata rape-murder case. Protests erupt across major cities demanding swift justice. The CBI receives permission for a polygraph test, while the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court are involved in the proceedings.

Amid rising protests against the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asserting that justice would have been swifter if the crime had occurred in Assam. He highlighted that the opposition in Assam criticizes his policies, but he remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting daughters.

'Look at my three-year record. If such a heinous crime had occurred in Assam, our government would have delivered justice immediately. The opposition in the state criticizes my policy, but I don't care. There will be no compromise in protecting our daughters,' Assam CM Sarma stated. The shocking incident has sparked widespread outrage and protests across various cities, with demonstrators calling for immediate justice and punishment for the perpetrators.

In a significant development, the CBI has obtained permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested suspect in the Kolkata rape-murder case, according to CBI sources. On August 18, the CBI investigating team carried out 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the case, with a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud set to hear it on August 20. Additionally, Calcutta High Court advocates held a protest march demanding justice for the victim and swift punishment for the accused earlier today.

Protests have spread to Delhi, where doctors from Maulana Azad Medical College and resident doctors from Northern Railway Central Hospital demonstrated outside Nirman Bhawan. Similar demonstrations were seen in Chandigarh, with PGIMER doctors protesting, and Mumbai’s Azad Maidan saw protests organized by doctors and locals.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, doctors and medical students from King George's Medical University tied 'black Rakhi' as a symbol of demanding justice in the Kolkata rape-murder case. In Kolkata, female police personnel tied Rakhi to doctors and students demanding swift justice.

On August 18, football fans protested near Salt Lake Stadium, leading to the cancellation of the Durand Cup match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Protests by junior doctors and medical students continued at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead on August 9 in a seminar hall.

On August 14, the protest site and RG Kar hospital campus were vandalized by a mob, necessitating police intervention. To maintain law and order, Kolkata police have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (previously Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College and Hospital for a week, starting from August 18 to August 24. (ANI)