Need laws that mandate conviction in rape cases within 50 days: TMC's Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata: Pitching for laws that mandate convictions in sexual assault cases within 50 days, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said that while protests were underway over the rape and murder of a medic at R G Kar hospital in Kolkata, 900 more such cases happened in the country.

Banerjee urged the states to push the Centre for a comprehensive anti-rape law that ensures swift and strict justice.

"Over the past 10 days, while the nation has been protesting against the #RGKarMedicalCollege incident and demanding justice, 900 rapes have occurred across different parts of India - during the very time when people were on the streets protesting against this horrible crime," he posted on X.

"With 90 rapes reported daily, 4 every hour and 1 every 15 minutes - the urgency for a decisive action is clear. We need strong laws that mandate trials & convictions within 50 days, followed by the severest punishments, not just empty promises. State governments must act and urgently push the Union for a comprehensive anti-rape law that ensures swift and strict justice. Anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective. WAKE UP INDIA!" he added.

The postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, triggering nationwide protests.