The state government has decided to appoint legal advisers in each sub-division to assist the police in cases of sexual abuse such as rape and molestation.
The decision to appoint legal advisers in every sub-division of the state stems from the “mishandling” by the police of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Hospital in August, which led to outrage and large-scale protests. An official said.
“The state administration thinks there is no wrongdoing in the RG car case. The police arrested the right person within a day of the incident. Even then, the government collected bricks. To rectify the same and prevent recurrence of such incidents, the state government decided to involve legal professionals so that they can guide the police in such cases. These legal assistants will guide the police on the proper protocol of investigation in sensitive cases,” said an official.
The recently held cabinet meeting decided to appoint 99 legal advisors. Notably, the state has 69 sub-divisions. “Those big sub-divisions may have more than one legal counsel, and a decision will be taken later,” said an official.
Initially, the meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to keep the legal advisor on contract for one year. The state home department is yet to determine the detailed eligibility and requirements. After learning from the RG Car Hospital incident, the state police is adopting a new strategy. In other words, the officer said that the accused will be arrested immediately after the complaint is filed, the demands of the victim’s family will be fully respected, and extreme caution will be taken when giving a statement about the incident to the media.