Centre takes Mamata govt to Supreme Court over CISF deployment at Kolkata hospital

New Delhi: The ongoing conflict between Central Government and Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal administration has escalated further as center moves to Supreme Court over the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Centre's plea, filed on Tuesday, accuses the state government of obstructing the CISF's ability to perform its duties, citing issues such as lack of accommodation, insufficient security gadgets, and inadequate transportation facilities.

Allegations of non-cooperation

According to reports from ANI, the Centre described the alleged non-cooperation by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government as indicative of a 'systemic malaise.' The Union government has sought a directive from the Supreme Court, demanding that West Bengal extend full cooperation to the CISF. The plea also calls for compliance with the court's previous order dated August 20, warning of potential contempt proceedings for what it describes as 'willful non-compliance.'

CISF deployed following hospital vandalism

The Supreme Court's involvement in the case began after a violent incident at RG Kar Hospital on August 14-15, when a mob stormed the facility, which had been the site of a brutal crime earlier that month. On August 9, a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered within the hospital premises. In the days following the crime, tensions escalated, leading to a mob attack that caused significant damage to the hospital's emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store. CCTV cameras were destroyed, and a stage used by protesting junior doctors was ransacked.

Legislative response

In response to the violence, the Supreme Court ordered the deployment of CISF personnel to maintain law and order at the hospital. The court also criticized the West Bengal government for its failure to prevent the vandalism, stressing the importance of state machinery in maintaining peace, especially during ongoing criminal investigations.

Amid the unrest, the West Bengal Assembly passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024,' which introduces capital punishment for those convicted of rape if the crime results in the victim's death or leaves her in a vegetative state.