AIDWA to take out protest march in Kolkata against rape of railway employee

AIDWA will be organising a protest march in the city on Monday to protest against the rape of an Eastern Railway employee by her colleagues.

The Leftist All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) will be organising a protest march in the city on Monday to protest against the rape of an Eastern Railway employee by her colleagues.

The march would start at 3 p.m. from B.B. Ganguly Street in Boubazar in the city’s north and would end at the Police Headquarter at Lalbazar in central Kolkata, AIDWA State secretary Minati Ghosh said. A deputation would be submitted to the Commissioner of Police.

“Although the accused have been arrested, we protest against the derogatory attitude of the police which cast aspersions on the rape survivor’s character instead of acting on her complaint. We are protesting against the negligent attitude of the police,” Ms. Ghosh said.

Other Leftist organisations are likely to be present at the march on Monday, she said.

The woman, who works at the Chitpur Railway Yard, had alleged that three of her colleagues had repeatedly raped her.

The accused also threatened to post “indecent” pictures of her if she complained to the police, the woman said. Three persons were arrested on Saturday after the incident came to light.

While the Eastern Railway has ordered an inquiry into the incident, the West Bengal Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of it. Blaming the Railways, State’s Women Commission chairperson Sunanada Mukherjee said: “The State’s women Commission has taken cognisance of the matter and is seeking a report from top officials concerned.”

State Women and Child Welfare Minister Shashi Panja said her department had sought a report from the police about the survivor’s claims that the police repeatedly refused to register her complaint.