Junior Doctor rape and murder case: Victim's family's counsel alleges that government trying to influence witnesses

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 19 (ANI): Counsel for victim's family of RG Kar death and rape case Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya accused the West Bengal government of trying to influence witnesses in the case.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "The role of CM in the state of West Bengal is very condemnable. Wherever there is rape she wants to immediately get into contact with the victim's family, pay them money and say everything is over. Unfortunately, she has fixed a rate card for the rape victims.
"She attempts to purchase the witnesses, that attempt was also made in this case. The parents of the victim girl firmly refused it because they did not like to be part of the game played by the CM" he alleged.
"On the contrary, they have given us the authority to move to court and we have done the same. The investigation is transferred to CBI. The CBI has to submit the reports in the court" he added.
He further lashed out at Kolkata police adding that the role of the police is not up to the mark.
"Police commissioner should not have held the press conferences. We have seen that he is a complete failure in controlling the situation. According to me, the activity of the police after the report is not satisfactory," the counsel claimed.
"When police instead of discharging its duty come forward to defend public opinion then police are not upto the mark," he added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the case on August 20.
Earlier on Monday West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose tore into the Mamata Banerjee government in the state saying that the Government had failed the women of the state.
"Bengal is not a place safe for women. Bengal has failed its women. Not the society but the present government has failed its women folk. Bengal should be brought back to its pristine glory where women had a respectable place in society...Women now are scared of 'Gundas' this has been created by the government that is insensitive to this issue," the Government"In Bengal, the government has ensured that woman has no protection, which is what is reflected after the gruesome tragedy that took place in RG Kar. This should not be repeated," the Governor added. Governor Bose is expected to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in the state.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari also hit out at the state government alleging that it was unable to assure security for women.
"It is a matter of shame that the state government issues a notification which shows that there is no safety for women at night. While bills are passed to reserve seats for women in Parliament and the Assembly, there is talk of women's empowerment, there is talk of promoting women. At the same time, the state government says that it is not right for women to do duty at night. The biggest irony is that there is no safety for women at night in the state. Further, the government also says that women should not go out of the house even during the day."
On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and civil societies and doctors across States protested against the incident and demanded severe punishment to the accused persons and sought safety and security for themselves
The Calcutta High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation, after expressing a lack of satisfaction with the Kolkata Police. (ANI)