In a sharp reaction to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement highlighting the number of rapes across India, the central government has now pointed out that 123 fast-track courts have been set up in Bengal to try rape and child abuse cases, but none of them are functional.

A 31-year-old doctor was in trouble after she was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Last week, she sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a strict central law to punish rapists. The Trinamool chief stressed in her letter that according to available data, there are 90 rape cases every day in the country. And in many cases, the victims are murdered.

“This development is appalling. It is shaking the confidence and conscience of the society and the nation. It is our duty to put an end to this so that women feel safe and secure. Such a serious and sensitive issue needs to be comprehensively addressed through stringent central laws providing exemplary punishments for those involved in these heinous crimes,” she wrote, also suggesting setting up fast-track special courts to try such cases. “To ensure speedy dispensation of justice, the trials should preferably be completed within 15 days,” she suggested.