“Those who don't respect women have no right to live”: BJP MLA Ratna Debnath backs Raiganj encounter, seeks same for RG Kar accused

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], November 10 (ANI): BJP MLA Ratna Debnath, whose daughter was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Tuesday supported the encounter of the accused in the Raiganj rape and murder case, recalling the alleged destruction of evidence in her daughter's case and demanding similar action against those responsible.
Reacting to the encounter, Debnath said she agreed with such action, alleging that evidence had been destroyed in her daughter's case and that the police were forced to resort to encounters because of the dangerous nature of criminals.
"I agree with the encounters. In the case of my daughter’s death, I witnessed how evidence was destroyed—just as it had been in previous instances. Had the current Chief Minister been in power back then, we wouldn't have had to go through such an ordeal. So all the perpetrators would have been dealt with through encounters. Moreover, the police resort to these encounters to protect themselves, because these criminals are so dangerous that they even attack the police- these have been happening in every cases. Consequently, the police are compelled to carry out these encounters," she said.
Debnath further said that people who do not respect women have no right to live, while alleging that the previous state leadership had failed to take adequate action against crimes against women.
"In my view, those who do not know how to respect women have no right to live at all. Four criminals have been removed from the state. The person (Mamata Banerjee) who previously served as Chief Minister or Health Minister always stood in support of criminals. They never took any steps to curb crime, that is why the situation in West Bengal has become today," she said.
Calling for action against those accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, Debnath said she wanted them to face the same fate, while refraining from naming anyone as the investigation was being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"I want those guilty in the RG Kar rape and murder incident to be encountered. Since the CBI is conducting the investigation, I will not name the culprits, but I do know who they all are," she added.
On Monday, the accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl in West Bengal's Raiganj was killed in a police encounter, following which the victim's father expressed gratitude to the police administration, saying the family felt relieved.
The decomposed body of the 13-year-old minor was recovered from the forest in the Raiganj area on Thursday (November 5). 
Meanwhile, the RG Kar case pertains to the horrific sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor while on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024, when the TMC was in power. The incident had triggered nationwide protests demanding justice and institutional accountability. (ANI)