‘Kolkata Not Safe’: RG Kar Victim’s Parents Slam ‘Safest City’ Tag
The father of the RG Kar Medical College rape victim has strongly contested the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report that labels Kolkata as the safest city in India, calling it a misrepresentation of ground realities.
He criticised the report, stating that it was prepared based on paperwork rather than actual conditions.
“The National Crime Bureau released a report claiming Kolkata is the safest city in India. However, the people who made this report did not base it on ground realities; they relied solely on paperwork. In Kolkata, at least 90 per cent of incidents are not registered as FIR cases. At our local police station in Gola, a girl was brutally beaten, and no one knows about it yet. This incident occurred three months ago, and such incidents happen daily in Kolkata. Nothing is brought to light. Even a six-month-old girl is not safe here. The report made by the Bureau, sitting in their offices, is clueless about the reality. Educated people in our country are misleading everyone. No one is safe in Kolkata—not a man, not a girl,” he said.
The mother of the RG Kar Medical College victim expressed profound grief and frustration over the lack of security in Kolkata, stating, “If there was proper security, my daughter, who was a doctor, would have been safe in her hospital. She was brutally beaten and killed, and her body was found in the hospital, yet no one knows the full truth. This kind of injustice occurs frequently. I believe around 200 such incidents have occurred in a year. It has happened in law colleges and it’s happening everywhere, every day. There is no security; it is not safe. Even when incidents occur, they are not properly reported or addressed due to widespread corruption. These issues have been ongoing for a long time. For us, it’s been a year and two months of pain. Wherever such incidents happen, we try to stop them, but the system fails us.'”
On Saturday, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) announced that Kolkata has been named India’s safest city for the fourth consecutive year.
Highlighting the city’s commitment to care, compassion, and community, the achievement is credited to the leadership of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
AITC took to X and posted, “For the fourth year in a row, Kolkata has been named India’s safest city. A city that believes in care, compassion, and community led by our Hon’ble CM @mamataofficial who believes safety is service.”
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma lauded the achievement, stating, “It is a very positive story. Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police always try their best to keep citizens safe and keep the state free from crime.”
He acknowledged occasional shortcomings but emphasised the collective efforts of the police force, supported by a cooperative and law-abiding public.
Verma credited junior-level field officers, behind-the-scenes personnel, and middle and top-level leaders for their vigilance and use of modern technologies.
“The secret lies in continuous efforts to improve policing, learning from failures, valuing public opinions, and being receptive to changes. There is no replacement for hard work and discipline, and there is no shortcut to success. Policing is never a one-man show; it is always teamwork. Every man and woman in uniform matters,” he added. (ANI)
