‘Was she actually raped’: Mamata raises doubts on victim’s death
The death of a14-year-oldgirlin West Bengal’s Nadia district last week, allegedly after being raped by a local TMC leader’s son, sparked a political storm on Monday after chief minister Mamata Banerjee appeared to dismiss the incident as a “love affair”.
The death of a14-year-oldgirlin West Bengal’s Nadia district last week, allegedly after being raped by a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader’s son, sparked a political storm on Monday after chief minister Mamata Banerjee appeared to dismiss the incident as a “love affair”.
The victim, a Class 9 student in Hanskhali, went to a birthday party hosted by TMC panchayat member Samarendra Gayali’s son Brajagopal on April 4 and returned home later that night, unwell, police said. She died the next day, apparently due to excessive bleeding and was cremated in the evening, allegedly without a death certificate, they added.
On Saturday, the girl’s family lodged a police complaint against the TMC leader’s son, alleging rape. Local residents and the girl’s family also told police that the victim was forced to drink alcohol before being raped. OnSunday, Brajagopal was arrested and charged with rape.Three of his friends are also being questioned, police said.
The statements of the victim’s parents were recorded by a magistrate at Nadia court on Monday. While the parents alleged that the girl was raped, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the minor was gangraped. District police have maintained silence on the investigation.
Since the allegations became public on Saturday, Opposition politicians have made a beeline for the victim’s village, roughly120 km from state capital Kolkata. The BJP called a 12-hour bandh in the area on Monday.
But Banerjee appeared to suggest that the victim and the main accused were in a consensual relationship even as she sought to draw a distinction between her administration and those run by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
“Was she actually raped? Was she pregnant? Was there some other reason? Did someone slap her? Was she sick? It is known that there was a love affair. Even her family and neighbours knew about this. I cannot stop boys and girls from falling in love. This is not Uttar Pradesh. I cannot start a love jihad programme. It is a matter of personal liberty,” Banerjee said in her speech at a government event here.
Accusing a section of the print and electronic media of being influenced by BJP, Banerjee said, “I heard about the girl’s death and talked to the police. Even police do not know till now how she died. I asked the police whether they think this was rape? Or, was she pregnant? Or, was it a love affair?”
The incident is the latest in a string of crimes where the accused are linked to the state’s ruling party and comes just weeks after nine people were burnt alive in Birbhum district following the murder of a TMC leader. Banerjee has repeatedly defended her administrative acumen and sought to differentiate her state from northern heartland provinces, especially on issues of women’s safety, but the recent crimes allegedly involving partymen has tarnished her record.
The chief minister, who is also in charge of the home department, was addressing the audience while inaugurating a fair ground in Kolkata.
“It is a bad incident and arrest has been made. But I have heard the girl had a love affair with the boy. The director general of police (Manoj Malaviya) is sitting here. Is it a fact?” Banerjee said looking at Malaviya, who told her that she was right.
The chief minister accused the girl’s family of not informing the police on time.
“The girl died on April 5 and the police came to know on April 10. If there was something suspicious why wasn’t the complaint lodged on April 5? You (the family) cremated the body. As a layman who does not know all the facts, I want to ask where will the evidence come from?” she said.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and Congress leaders will visit Nadia district on Tuesday.
“My daughter was raped. She was not pregnant,” the victim’s mother told reporters on Monday evening.
In her speech, Banerjee took a swipe at BJP-ruled states. “Action is of course taken when someone commits a crime in Bengal….This does not happen in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. You are dragging the Trinamool into this. What can be done if everyone in Bengal belongs to the Trinamool? Why are you pointing fingers at the Trinamool? Did the party teach (the boy)?”
BJP leaders immediately hit back at the chief minister.
“How ruthless & inhumane can a person be! Despite being a woman and chief minister, Mamata Banerjee wants to protect the rapists and trivialize the incident of brutal rape of a minor girl! She is not at all willing to set right the lawless state of Paschim Banga,” tweeted BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh.
“People of Bengal, who voted for a woman chief minister, should do some introspection now,” Adhikari said.
“The chief minister has already told her police what all might have happened. Can we still expect an impartial probe?” CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said he sought a report from the chief secretary. “LOP @SuvenduWB has sought probe on alleged gangrape death of 14-year-old girl in Nadia as also atrocities on Ram bhakts #RamNavami. Both highlight worrisome state of crime against women & nosediving law & order scenario. Guv has sought urgent report from CS on both counts,” tweeted Dhankhar.