India: TMC leaders heckled over rape
People demand security for the residents
Kolkata: Police have arrested one more person and detained three in connection with the gang-rape and murder of a 20-year-old college student in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
A police picket has been set up in the area to subdue any further protest, which may turn violent. The state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been asked to take over the matter.
The student went missing on Friday evening and her body was found beside a fishpond at Kirtipur in the Barasat police station area. The victim’s family alleged that she was killed after being gang-raped by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) activist.
Protests erupted soon after the body was recovered and hundreds of people blocked roads and held up traffic. Protestors attacked the vehicle of local TMC Member of Parliament Nurul Islam when he tried to reach the area.
He looked helpless and some said he even ordered the police to do a lathi (baton) charge to save him from the protectors ire. People claim that it is due to his indulgence that anti-social elements are getting bold.
“I have never given any direct or indirect support to such elements. On the contrary, the victim is also my daughter-in-law’s classmate in college and I have asked the police to arrest those involved,” said Islam.
State Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick, also a legislator from the area also faced demonstrations, when he talked about financial compensation to the victim’s family and had to listen to retreat when he wanted to go and meet the victim’s family.
“The law and order situation in Barasat is very bad especially for women, who face difficulty in even doing their day-to-day work.
“Not a single woman can say that they are not victims of eve teasing. This is not the first time such horrific incidents have happened, but police and administration under successive governments have done nothing,” said a woman protesting the incident.
Two years ago, a 16 year old boy was murdered by anti-socials when he protested against eve teasing of his elder sister.
