Calcutta HC Gives Nod For CBI Probe Into Hanskhali Rape Case, Seeks Report By May 2

The victim had gone to the birthday party of the accused at his residence in Hanskhali on April 4 and there she was allegedly drugged before being raped. 

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) led investigation in the alleged rape and resultant death of a minor girl at Hanskhali in West Bengal's Nadia district.

All the documents will be submitted to the CBI by the local police along with the custody of the accused. CBI will have to furnish the report to the court in the next hearing (May 2), the court verdict said.

"In the circumstances of the case and after considering the legal position, we are of the opinion that in order to have fair investigation in the matter and to instill confidence of the family members of the victim and also the residents of the locality and the State, the investigation should be carried out by CBI instead of the local police,' the HC bench ordered.

"We direct the State Investigating Agency to hand over the investigation to CBI with immediate effect... We find that the investigation suffers from serious lapses on several important aspects," the bench, also comprising Justice R Bharadwaj, directed.

The victim had gone to the birthday party of the accused at his residence in Hanskhali on April 4 and there she was allegedly drugged before being raped. 

The girl died a day after the incident took place owing to excessive bleeding following the assault on her.

The girl was allegedly cremated in the village crematorium without post-mortem examination or a death certificate.

During the hearing, petitioner's lawyer prayed for a CBI probe in the case. According to reports, the accused is the son of a panchayat leader belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

As per the petition, a complaint was lodged on April 9 at Hanskhali police station by family members of the victim. The family reportedly had remained mum about the incident allegedly owing to threats and pressure from the accused and his kin.

The main accused and one more person have been arrested in connection with the case.

Petitioner's lawyer Anindya Sundar Das claimed that the police came to know about the incident nearly a week after its occurrence showing the force failed to act properly.