The brutal gang rape and subsequent death of an elderly woman in North 24 Parganas district has sparked outrage in West Bengal with the Opposition once again raising questions about the safety of women in the State. A 62-year-old woman, who was allegedly gang raped on July 4 in Sandeshkhali area of the district, succumbed to injuries on Monday.
Opposition parties have accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of not doing enough to ensure “safety of women” in Bengal.
While the Mahila Morcha of the BJP threatened to launch a large-scale agitation if an “impartial probe” is not conducted into the incident, the CPI-M’s women’s wing All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has accused the State administration of “completely failing” in ensuring women’s safety in Bengal. The woman was allegedly gang raped after she protested on seeing some local youths drinking by the roadside.
“We have already arrested the accused Rakesshwar Maury on July 8. We are taking up the investigation of the case very seriously,” IGP Anuj Sharma told The Hindu on Wednesday.
