The rape and murder of a 20-year-old college student at Barasat in the West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district triggered protests by locals on Saturday with a local Trinamool MP and State Food Minister facing the public ire.
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.
“A complaint of gang-rape has been registered. Three persons, have been arrested in connection with the crime” an officer of Barasat police station said.
Police said the family had alleged that she was subjected to eve-teasing in the past .
Protests erupted soon after the body was recovered and hundreds of people blocked roads, and held up traffic.
People attacked the vehicle of local Trinamool MP Nurul Islam when he reached the spot during the day. State Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who also faced demonstrations, assured a police picket would be set up in the area. The State’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been asked to take over the matter.
“The State government will provide job to a family member of the victim,” he said.
Meanwhile, the representatives of the women wing of different Left parties laid siege at the police station. They alleged that despite repeated incidents of crime against women the police was not taking adequate action against the perpetrators.
