Doctor rape-murder case: TMC reaches out to victim's kin, promises 'course correction'

The interaction came a day before the Bengal assembly convenes for a special session -- which will last two days -- during which it is expected that legislation making rapes punishable by death in the state will be passed.

Trinamool's Kunal Ghosh on Sunday reached out to the father of the R G Kar rape-murder victim and promised course correction on part of the party based on inputs from the family.

The father, as per Ghosh, told him that they wanted the culprits to be caught and for the Mamata Banerjee government there to focus on speeding up the 'slow-paced CBI probe', The Times of India reported, adding that the victim's father refused to elaborate on his talks with the former TMC MP.

The interaction came a day before the Bengal assembly convenes for a special session -- which will last two days -- during which it is expected that a legislation making rapes punishable by death in the state will be passed.

The publication, citing sources, said the bill is likely to be announced by Mamata and will be named in a tribute to the victim. Ghosh's interaction with the family also comes after an hour-long meeting last Friday between Mamata and her nephew, who is also the party's general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.

The TMC leader noted that he's told the victim's father to alert the party immediately, if there is any 'confusion' regarding statements made by either him or his party colleagues.

"There could be points we might have missed. There could be statements made, through which we may have hurt them. I've asked him to point it out immediately to me, and necessary course-corrections would be done," TOI reported Ghosh say.

In the interaction, Ghosh also reportedly explained his public position, including him being present for many political debates around the incident over the past weeks. The TMC man said that some statements 'made unwittingly' may have hurt the victim's kin.

The father of the victim meanwhile said "Stringent laws are always a deterrent to such crimes. But primarily the administration will have to ensure transparency, so that the criminal is arrested. Unless we are able to catch the criminal, a stringent act is of no use," as per the publication.

The new bill reportedly proposes treating all rape incidents as 'murder', which will come with death or life imprisonment. It is also expected to call for a time-bound trial along with an enhanced fine or compensation. The bill reportedly proposes death penalty and a hefty fine to be collected from the perpetrator's family, in the case of a rape-murder.