A BJP leader has been arrested for allegedly molesting a teenager in the ??Almora district of Uttarakhand. Almora SSP Devendra Pincha said on Sunday that Bhagwat Singh Bora, accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, was arrested on Saturday night. Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the incident, Bora, who was the block unit chief of the party's Salt region, has been expelled with immediate effect on the instructions of BJP's state president Mahendra Bhatt. The SSP said the alleged incident took place on August 24 in the Salt revenue area, and an information regarding this was received on August 30. Pincha said that a case has been registered against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 74 (assault or criminal force on a woman to outrage her modesty) of the BNS. Meanwhile, after recording the girl's statement, her medical examination was also conducted. Attacking the ruling BJP over the issue, state Congress president Karan Mahara .
Amid the outrage over the Kolkata rape-murder, PM Modi on Saturday that faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population
He said half the population (women) will get maximum security when swift action is taken in cases related to atrocities of women
Union Minister Annapurna Devi on Friday asserted that existing laws were stringent enough to tackle violence and crimes against women and urged the West Bengal government to implement the same in "letter and spirit". In a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the second in a week, Devi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, said the state government has not operationalised additional 11 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) to specifically deal with cases of rape and POCSO cases. Devi said West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) covered under the Central Government Scheme. Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder. Banerjee, who wrote to Modi a few days ago on the issue following nationwide uproar over the rape and murder of a doctor at the R
Kolkata is set to witness a series of rallies and demonstrations on Thursday to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a doctor with political parties and several civil society organisations planning to hit the streets during the day. Despite attempts by police to "stop BJP's movements", the party would go ahead with its protest programme in Esplanade area in central Kolkata on Thursday, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said. The BJP demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "sustained efforts to divert the probe and shield the main perpetrators" in the alleged rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor, Majumdar, the party's state unit president, said. Senior BJP leader and party's West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya on Wednesday said, "Despite Calcutta High Court's explicit order, Kolkata Police is not allowing @BJP4Bengal to erect stage for tomorrow's dharna at Dorina Crossing, Dharmatala. The protest will happen at the designated place as per
Demanding enactment of stricter anti-rape laws by the Centre, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he will move a private member's bill in the Lok Sabha. The TMC national general secretary said that if the Centre "fails" to enact a stricter law that would ensure quick trial and sentencing of those found guilty, he will lead protests in Delhi. "Our only demand is stricter anti-rape legislation," the TMC MP said, addressing a Trinamool Congress students' wing rally on its foundation day, here. He said that the TMC will take to the streets if the Centre does not enact a new law to ensure a time-bound trial and sentencing of the accused found guilty of rape charges. "If the central government does not enact this law, I will move a private member's bill for the new law," he said. Banerjee said that the TMC was demanding justice and quick trial and sentencing in the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor in R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. He said that if this government could imp
Amid uproar over the rape of a doctor in West Bengal, Union minister Annapurna Devi has said the situation of women in the state has been "deteriorating" and slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to implement central government schemes such as fast track courts and emergency helplines to deal with crimes against women. It is ironic that it is the only state in the country that has a woman chief minister and still the situation of women in the state is deteriorating, Women and Child Development minister Devi told PTI. "There are states like West Bengal where we are trying to get the central government schemes implemented but it is not happening. There are central government schemes, such as fast track special courts and POCSO courts, that have been established to deal with crimes against women and children but the state (West Bengal) is lagging behind in it," Devi said. "We are sponsoring the scheme so you don't have to spend money but the state has to implement it. We .
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he would take sides, and won't let 'Miya' Muslims "take over" the Assam. Sarma was speaking in the assembly on adjournment motions brought by the opposition parties to discuss the law and order situation in the state in the backdrop of the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Nagaon. Replying to the motion, he said the crime rate has not increased if the population growth is taken into account. When the opposition charged him of being partisan, Sarma retorted, "I will take sides. What can you do about it?" "Why will people from Lower Assam go to Upper Assam? So that Miya Muslims can take over Assam? We won't let it happen," he asserted. Amid the heated debate, members of both treasury and opposition benches stormed into the Well of the House, prompting Speaker Biswajit Daimary to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes. MLAs of Congress, AIUDF, and CPI(M), and lone Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi had moved four adjournment motion
The opposition parties in Assam on Tuesday held demonstrations in various parts of Guwahati, including the assembly complex, alleging the failure of the government to protect women and prevent crime against them. Congress MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia marched from inside the assembly building to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi within the compound, holding placards and shouting slogans demanding the safety of women and condemning the targeting of a particular community for all crimes against women. "The Dhing incident is not the only one. After that also, many such cases have taken place in different parts of the state," Saikia told reporters here. "The CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, is not at all serious and concerned about the situation. We discussed in the assembly about crimes against women with NCRB data and asked the government to take action," he said. Saikia claimed that the Home Department has asked the Assam Police not to register "some cases"
The CBI on Monday started a second round of polygraph tests on former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) principal Sandip Ghosh and five others as part of their investigation into the rape-murder of a woman doctor at the institution. According to an officer, over the last 10 days, Ghosh provided inconsistent answers during questioning, prompting officers to conduct another round of polygraph tests. The CBI initially conducted the lie-detection tests on Ghosh and five others on Saturday, followed by a test on arrested accused Sanjay Roy at the Presidency Correctional Home on Sunday. Additionally, Ghosh and former medical superintendent and vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth are also being investigated for alleged financial irregularities within the institute. The case centres on the rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee woman doctor in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. The gruesome crime ...
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday advocated for a stringent law to tackle crimes against women, expressing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for such legislation. Sarma emphasised that all legal processes, including inquiry, charge-sheet, trial, and conviction, should be completed within six months in cases involving crimes against women. "Crimes against women are on the rise. I welcome the PM's announcement that a strict law is needed," Sarma said. He further remarked, "My only observation is that a deadline of six months should be fixed for all processes such as inquiry, charge-sheet, trial, and conviction in crime cases against women. Then only will we be able to reduce such crimes." Sarma's comments come in the wake of protests over the rape-murder of a doctor at R G Kar Hospital in Kolkata. Speaking to reporters at Union Minister Sanjay Seth's residence in Ranchi, Sarma said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on Sunday advocated for a strict
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the recent incidents of crimes against women in the state are being committed with a "bigger intention of grabbing land and threatening the identity of the Assamese people". He hinted at 'political patronage' behind the crimes, while also claiming that financial power is shifting out of the hands of the Assamese people. "No society is perfect. Crimes against women are a reality. These crimes had come down in the state in the last three years. But the real intention in the recent incidents is much bigger, through crimes such as rape the target is our land, civilisation," Sarma said at a press interaction late on Saturday evening. "In Assam, this design is on for the last 30-35 years. That is why the Assam Agitation happened. We have identified the radicals now, but in 1975 itself, the Assamese society was warned that this would happen," he said, referring to the six-year-long movement from 1979 against illegal immigrants from
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NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the Badlapur incident involving the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a school has hit the image of Maharashtra in the country. He accused the state government of forgetting that the responsibility for the safety of women lies with it. Pawar, who took part in a silent protest in Pune, said the government is insensitive if it thinks the opposition is playing politics over the Badlapur incident. The Badlapur incident has hit the image of Maharashtra in the country, said the chief of NCP (SP), which is a constituent of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Pawar said such an incident has taken place in the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji who used to chop off the hands of culprits involved in crimes against women. The alleged sexual assault on two 4-year-old girls by a male attendant at a school in Badlapur of Thane district had led to a massive protest in
The lie detection tests on the main accused and six others in the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital started on Saturday, officials said. The polygraph test on the main accused, Sanjay Roy, will be conducted in the prison, where he is lodged, while the remaining six, including former principal Sandip Ghosh and four doctors who were on duty during the night of the incident and a civil volunteer, will undergo test at the agency's office, the officials said. A team of polygraph specialists from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi have flown to Kolkata to conduct these tests, they said. The CBI told the Supreme Court on Thursday that there was an attempt to cover up the rape and killing of the post-graduate medic by the local police as the crime scene was altered by the time the federal agency took over the probe. The rape and killing of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the hospital has sparked ...
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department has filed a charge sheet against former MP Prajwal Revanna for rape and his father and MLA H D Revanna for sexual harassment. The SIT, which is probing four cases against Prajwal, said the over 2,000-page charge sheet comprises the statements of about 150 witnesses. The charge sheet, submitted in a special court for public representatives, pertains to one of the cases involving alleged sexual assault on a domestic help of the family. The charge sheet contains spot inspection, biological, physical, scientific, mobile, digital and other relevant evidences which were gathered. Further, expert opinion was taken before filing the charge sheet, the SIT said. While the MLA Revanna, who is son of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, has been charged with section 354 and 354 (A) of the IPC, his 33-year-old son Prajwal has been booked under sections 376, 376 (2)(K), 354, 354(A) and 354(B) of the
Healthcare services were severely hit at state-run hospitals in West Bengal on Friday as junior doctors continued their ceasework for the 15th consecutive day to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) here. They decided to continue the stir despite the Supreme Court's appeal to them to resume work. "Our protest will continue till we see the culprits punished. We are not here for anything else. We cannot call off the demonstration suddenly unless our demand is fulfilled," an agitating doctor at the RGKMCH told PTI. The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of the medic to resume work and directed that no coercive action would be taken against them. The court said judges and doctors cannot strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty. The flow of patients at the different government hospitals seemed to dry up as the ceasew
The Bombay High Court on Thursday called the sexual assault on two minor girls at their school in Badlapur absolutely shocking and said that there cannot be any compromise on the safety and security of girls. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said that action ought to be taken against the school authorities for not reporting the incident despite being aware of it. It also blasted the police over the delay in registering the FIR. The court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident where two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted inside the school's washroom at Badlapur in Thane district by a male attendant on August 12 and 13. The FIR in the case was lodged on August 16 and the accused was arrested on August 17, as per court documents. The bench said the police machinery had not moved till the public hit the streets with a protest and outburst. Unless there is strong public outburst, machinery won't move. Won't the state mov
A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud is hearing the matter related to the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata
The Central Bureau of Investigation conducted a polygraph test on Sanjoy Roy, the accused arrested in the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital