CJI for strict action for crimes against women

In the wake of the recent spate of crimes against women in West Bengal, Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir Saturday asked the administration to deal firmly with the cases and ensure proper investigation of the crimes.

"As long as the administration is not strictly dealing with such nothing much can be done. Investigation is in the hand of the administration. The court cannot and does not interfere much," Kabir told mediapersons on the sidelines of a programme here.

Stressing on the need for proper investigation, Kabir said a number of criminal cases have failed to reach logical conclusion due to "faulty investigation" and lack of witnesses.

Though he refused to comment on the instances of sexual offences in Bengal saying he might be misinterpreted, Kabir hoped the perpetrators of the infamous Park Street rape case would be punished.

"If the investigation has been done properly, I don't think there is any reason for the culprits not getting punished," said Kabir on the Park Street case where an Anglo-Indian woman was allegedly raped at gun point February 2012.

Kabir however, refused to comment on the recent gang-rape and murder of a college student in North 24 Parganas district's Kamduni village near Barasat.

The case has created a lot of public outcry, especially after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had rebuked women protestors as "Maoists and CPI-M people" during a noisy protest.