NEW DELHI: Fresh from its April visit to the state, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has sent a stinker to West Bengal government pointing towards a steep rise in crime against women in the state in recent months and adding that this rise in rapes in the state in the recent past is almost twice than that of the national average.
The report also, significantly, expressed the commission's "unhappiness'' at the twin transfers where former joint CP (crime) Damayanti Sen - who investigated the Park Street gang rape case - and Pranab Kumar, SP (Bankura) - who investigated the rape case of a deaf and mute girl - were shunted out after preliminary investigations.
The commission laid more emphasis on the Bankura case. "The case is extremely distressing considering that the victim is a person of special needs and she was under the care of a doctor, who not only is alleged to have committed the crime but also breached the trust of the patient. The commission notes with dismay that the young SP who took prompt action in the matter and ensured timely enquiry was transferred," a three-member committee that probed the matter said in its report.
The NCW had constituted a three-member inquiry committee to look into the recent incidents of crime against women in the state and it had visited Bengal in the first week of April. It comprised Wansuk Syeim and Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar, members of the commission and Anita Agnihotri, member secretary, NCW. As a source in NCW clearly noted, the team had observed that incidents of such crimes coupled with a set of unpreparedness among the officers at the level of public contact may actually make the "crime a nearly risk-free business for criminals".
Member secretary Anita Agnihotri said, "The report has been placed and the NCW recommendations sent to the state government. This is not aimed to target the state government but to build a system where such issues are promptly addressed and the mistakes are rectified. While the state government can transfer any officer, the committee felt at times such acts hamper the continuity of investigations."
In another significant development, the NCW team has also recommended review of the convention presently adopted by the Comissionerate of Police, Kolkata, which requires an order of a court before a rape victim is subjected to a medical examination. Stating that such a practice has been discontinued all across the country and even in parts of Bengal, the commission said this was against "the spirit of law and recent judgments of Supreme Court and High courts which clearly indicate that neither the medical officers nor the accused should get advantage in the process and valuable medical evidence against the accused is lost in any matter. This, incidentally, was touted as a reason for delayed medical tests in the Park Street case.
The NCW quoted an analysis of recent cases conducted by a NGO network called Maitree which pointed that West Bengal recorded the second highest number of rape cases in the country and the rate of increase in reported cases was twice the national average. Moreover, this state had the second lowest conviction rate. It said girls from the age of 7 to women of 72 were subjected to rape and that in 44% cases of gang rape 39% victims were minor girls; 17% of victims were mentally/physically disabled; 8% rapes happened in hospitals trains; in 44% of cases, accused is still absconding; in 17% of cases, women's character, or the veracity of cases were publicly questioned; about 39% of rapists were known to women; in about 25% of the cases, FIRs were not filed at all, or filed later due to public pressure or court orders to this effect; and that majority of the case took place in the districts and small towns and villages.
"The women who have been targets of attack should be offered financial compensation under provisions of the law (Section 357-A Cr.PC) by preparing an appropriate scheme, as has been done by other states. Hand-holding of the women should be done by designated field functionaries of the Women and Child Development Department so as to ensure that they do not suffer trauma and disruption of livelihood. If required, special assistance of psychologists and social workers should be provided," it said.
The report goes on to state that victims comprised of all possible ages. Further, girls from the age of 7 to women of 72 were subjected to rape; this included housewives, working women, mentally and physically challenged women, and tribals; the incidents occurred at all times of the day and night in public places, government hospitals, homes, fields and everywhere. The rapists ranged from students to tutors, teachers, family members, robbers, political party workers and government workers among others,'' the report stated. The NCW has been asked the state to set up 24 hour help desks to help these victims.Link: Rapes in Bengal twice India's average, reveals National Commission for Women report
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