In response to widespread protests and outrage following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital during her duty hours, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a directive to all states, requiring them to submit law and order reports every two hours.
The directive, which was issued on 16 August 2024, instructs state police forces across the country to send updates to the MHA control room via email, fax, or WhatsApp. The MHA stated, “The competent authority has desired to monitor the law and order situation report of your state/UT against the murder of a trainee woman doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. Henceforth, a continuous two-hourly law and order situation report in this regard may kindly be sent to the MHA control room by fax/e-mail/WhatsApp from 4 pm today.”
States began complying with the order on 16 August, with reports being sent as directed. A senior official explained, “This will ensure that reports concerning crucial issues reach in time.” He further noted that the Kolkata case exposed several deficiencies in the handling of such incidents. “In such crucial cases, action needs to be taken swiftly,” he added.
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The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was discovered brutally murdered in the seminar hall of the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9 August. The incident has sparked significant protests, highlighting serious shortcomings and a lack of support from relevant officials. Following growing public anger over the perceived lack of progress by local police, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A senior MHA official remarked, “This crucial step has been taken to keep a vigil on the security situations in all the states and the UTs.”
The move underscores the government’s effort to ensure prompt action and oversight in the wake of this tragic incident.
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