The alleged rape and subsequent death of a Class XI student at Hanskhali in West Bengal’s Nadia district created a furore on Monday with the Opposition targeting the Trinamool Congress government. While the prime accused and son of a gram pradhan member, Brajagopal Gayali alias Sohail, was arrested on Sunday, it was a remark by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that triggered strong political reactions.
Family members of the 14-year-old student said the alleged rape occurred on April 4 when she went to attend the birthday party of the son of the local Trinamool Congress leader. The parents said she died the following day on April 5 due to excessive bleeding. The parents alleged that the Trinamool Congress leader’s family forcibly tried to burn the girl’s body by pouring kerosene. Sohail is son of local Trinamool leader Samar Gayali, who is a member of the Gajna gram panchayat .
Speaking at an event organised by the State government, Ms. Banerjee wondered whether the incident could be called rape, love affair, a case of pregnancy or any other reason.
“Are you going to call it rape or pregnant or a love affair? I asked the police. It was a bad thing, and an arrest has been made; but I heard there was a love affair between the boy and the girl. Was it an actual rape? Or was she pregnant? Or was there any other reason? Or was she repeatedly slapped? Even her family members knew she was having an affair,” Ms. Banerjee said.
“If some boy or a girl is having an affair, how can I stop that? This is not U.P. [Uttar Pradesh] that I will start a love jihad programme. The girl died on the 5th, the police got to know on the 10th. If somebody died on the 5th and there was any ground for suspicion or any complaint, then why was not a complaint filed before the police on the 5th itself? You burnt the body. I am speaking as a layman, without knowing the full details. Where will they get the evidence?,” the Chief Minister asked. Ms. Banerjee tried to point out that “an arrest has been made, and no political colour is considered when arrests are made”.
CM’s remarks condemned
Leaders from the BJP, Congress and the Left parties condemned the remarks of the Chief Minister. “The remarks by Chief Minister on the Hanskhali incident are in a poor taste. She is asking whether it was a love affair. Why did the police not interfere and prevent the burning of the body. Why wasn’t a post-mortem done ,” Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari asked. Mr Adhikari, who met the Governor in connection with the incident, said a BJP delegation would visit Hanskhali.
State Congress president Adhhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked why was the Chief Minister “advocating for the rapist”. Communist Party of India ( Marxist) State secretary Md. Salim asked why was the Chief Minister making claims before investigation. “She might have expertise on love, marriage, pregnancy but that has nothing to do with law and order. All she can do is tell her party supporters not to indulge in such heinous acts.. Every day such incidents are taking place,” Mr. Salim said sarcastically.
Governor seeks report
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has sought a report from the Chief Secretary on the incident on the “alleged gangrape death of 14-year-old girl in Nadia”.
Earlier in the day, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) petition on the matter which is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.
The Bench is also hearing a petition of alleged rape of 11-year-old girl at Matia in North 24 Parganas district on March 25. On Monday, police at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas registered a case on the allegation of a woman that she was raped and then the offenders tried to burn her. The survivor has been admitted to a State-run hospital.
