Two days after the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal's Baruipur, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari arrived at the office of the Superintendent of Police to assess the situation. So far, three arrests have been made, including the main accused, Ananda Sardar.
“I virtually connected with police across the state. I said such incidents need to be stopped. BNS(Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), high court, women’s rights commission, child’s rights Commission, POSCO and guidelines should be adhered to," said Suvendu Adhikari after the meeting at Baruipur.
The CM also met the victim’s family and assured them of help. “I don’t think any CM or Police Minister has had such discussions with victims' families," added the CM, who is also the Home and Hill Affairs Minister.
The CM also said he heard views of BJP leaders like Rupa Ganguly and Trinamool Congress(TMC) leaders Saayoni Ghosh and Biman Banerjee, who seemed satisfied with the course of action taken.
“Different MPs and MLAs of TMC spoke to the CM and he assured them in front of officers that the innocent will not be booked and that the accused will not be spared," said BJP leader Rupa Ganguly, who was present at the meeting with the SP and other police officers.
Police had visited the crime scene earlier and looked into CCTV footage, which shows the girl walking with one of the accused before the crime. Two of the accused allegedly gave ₹10,000 to the other accused to bring the girl to the shack where they were present. It has been reported that the three reportedly consumed alcohol before the assault. A 6-member Special Investigation team is looking into all angles, including reports of delayed police action.
“We will look into all aspects, whether there was a delay in response by police; a full enquiry will be done," said Siddh Nath Gupta, DGP&IGP, West Bengal Police, who visited Baruipur.
Earlier in the day, BJP leaders Agnimitra Paul and Locket Chatterjee met the victim’s family in Baruipur. Rebel bloc leaders Ritabrata Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Saayoni Ghosh also paid the family a visit. Indian Secular Front(ISF) MLA Naushad Siddiqui, too, met the family.
“The way they punished my daughter, I want them to get a similar punishment. We want them to be hanged," said the victim’s mother.
17-year-old boy dies following clashes over football
Another case in Baruipur came to light, where a 17-year-old boy was allegedly murdered during clashes following a local football match on Monday. Five persons who are suspected to be linked to the incident were arrested.
“My brother played football and came back bleeding," said his sister.
An angry mob, including family and friends, ransacked a police camp inside the hospital premises. The boy identified as Prosenjit Biswas was allegedly attacked on his neck with a knife by three youths in Baruipur.
Prosenjit's team had won a football match three days ago, after which the victory reportedly led to an argument and tension between two groups. To take revenge, Prosenjit and one of his friends were called to a location on Monday, where he was allegedly attacked with a knife.
Angry protesters staged a road blockade in front of the hospital, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. Police resorted to a lathi charge to bring the crowd under control as the situation remained tense. Heavy police deployment was seen in the area following the incident.
CM Adhikari mentioned that action will be taken against the mob who were involved in the violence and a murder case will be registered for further investigation.
