After R G Kar rape-murder, Bengal defended under-fire civic volunteer scheme in SC: ‘Functioning satisfactorily’

In its affidavit filed successful the apical court, the details of which person not been reported previously, the authorities authorities provided details specified arsenic the recruitment process for volunteers and the duties assigned to them.

The affidavit said: “The Civil Volunteer Force is acceptable up to assistance the police… successful respective units of postulation management… successful large festivals… regarding unauthorised parking of vehicles… successful ensuring nationalist safety” and “any different duties/responsibilities to beryllium assigned by the respective heads of unit”.

It added: “Civic volunteers person not been assigned duties successful transportation with constabulary stations (except for those mentioned hereinabove) oregon for immoderate instrumentality enforcement duties, including investigating crimes.”

The rape and murder sparked wide condemnation crossed the country, starring to the Supreme Court taking suo motu cognisance and monitoring the probe by the CBI.

In the meantime, an umbrella assemblage of 5 doctors’ organisations — Doctors United for People’s Health Right & Dignity of Medical Profession— approached the SC seeking the scrapping of the scheme.

Their plea highlighted concerns implicit the ‘Rattirer Sathi Scheme (helper astatine night)’ announced by the authorities to code the information and information concerns of women astatine their workplaces on with hospitals successful the aftermath of the R G Kar incident.

They contended that the authorities continues to perpetuate the strategy contempt the main accused, Roy, being a civilian volunteer.

Appearing for the doctor’s association, elder advocator Karuna Nundy said the authorities is violating the Calcutta High Court directions that nary instrumentality and bid relation whitethorn beryllium discharged by civic volunteers and specified civilians. She besides referred to the Supreme Court’s July 2011 judgement directing the Chhattisgarh authorities to disband the arguable Salwa Judum militia — which recruited tribal youths arsenic peculiar constabulary officers to combat Maoists.

Hearing the plea connected October 15, 2024, the past Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had remarked: “We privation to cognize what you are doing due to the fact that different this is simply a bully process of conferring governmental patronage connected radical who are wholly unverified.”

The three-judge seat asked the authorities to record an affidavit explaining the strategy successful detail, specifically seeking the enactment process for recruitment and the steps taken to guarantee specified volunteers bash not run successful establishments specified arsenic hospitals and schools wherever women and children whitethorn beryllium vulnerable. It said: “The affidavit shall specifically disclose whether immoderate of the civic volunteers are assigned duties successful oregon successful transportation with constabulary stations oregon for the probe of the crime.”

In its effect dated November 1, 2024 (the exertion by the doctors’ assemblage is yet to travel up for proceeding aft the October 15 direction), West Bengal’s Department for Home and Hill Affairs said: “The enactment of the civic volunteers was conducted done interviews by a enactment committee consisting of the Superintendent of Police oregon Commissioner of Police arsenic Chairman, on with 1 Additional Superintendent of Police oregon Deputy Commissioner of Police oregon Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police, and 1 Deputy Superintendent of Police oregon Assistant Commissioner of Police.”

It said that “for Government Railway Police, the committee consisted of the Superintendent of Railway Police and 2 Deputy Superintendents of Railway Police”.

One the eligibility criteria, the authorities said: “The campaigner indispensable beryllium a nonmigratory of the constabulary presumption country wherever they would beryllium deployed; property betwixt 20 to 30 years arsenic of January 1st of the respective twelvemonth of enrollment; the campaigner indispensable person passed the Madhyamik Standard Examination; information successful schoolhouse oregon club-level sports was required; anterior acquisition arsenic an NCC cadet, lad scout, NSS usher oregon civilian defence unpaid was preferred; nary transgression grounds should exist; the campaigner indispensable beryllium medically fit.”

The authorities submitted that the antecedents of the candidates are besides verified to guarantee they person nary transgression record.

The affidavit said that the circular mentioning the duties of the civic volunteers was besides placed earlier the Calcutta HC successful a substance successful March 2023 and the HC had directed that the aforesaid beryllium strictly enforced.

The authorities said that these volunteers were initially paid a regular honorarium of `141.81 which was raised to `10,000 per month.

The affidavit said a full of 4,522 civic volunteers, 870 of whom are women, are deployed successful authorities and backstage hospitals, nursing homes and superior wellness centres; 339 civic volunteers, including 77 women, “are deployed successful acquisition institutions to assistance constabulary officials.

The authorities said “civic volunteers are functioning satisfactorily” and it had “already proceeded towards imparting capable grooming of astir 3 months” to them.