New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs were not allowed to meet the family members of the minor girl who was allegedly raped and murdered by a group of men in North Dinajpur earlier this week, news agency ANI reported.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the girl, a resident of Gangua village of North Dinajpur district, went missing on Thursday evening after she went for her tuition. She could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and locals. Later, her body was discovered in a canal on Friday morning.
Condemning the incident, Adhikari earlier slammed the government over “lawlessness” and held the police responsible for the crime.
Taking to Twitter, Suvendu Adhikari wrote, “Another rape & murder of a Minor Girl in WB. The dead body of a Class X student; belonging to the Rajbongshi Community, from Kaliaganj; Uttar Dinajpur was found in such condition. Days after Tribal ladies were punished with atonement ritual, this happens to a Rajbongshi girl.”
"Sorry state of Law & Order situation in WB as @WBPolice is busy with making security arrangements for 'Bhaipo's Nabajowar'. Unfortunately, the common people; especially women are paying the price. The perpetrators are getting emboldened due to the inaction of the state government," he wrote in another tweet.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, National Commission for Women, taking cognizance of the incident, wrote to the DGP of West Bengal to personally intervene in the matter and also sought an FIR under relevant sections, a statement issued by NCW said.
On Friday, after the Kaliagunj region in North Dinajpur district became a battleground following the alleged rape and murder of the girl, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took note of the incident and said a fact-finding team will be dispatched to conduct an investigation.
"We will meet the family of the victim, talk to officials and doctors who did the post-mortem of the victim & prepare the report. Govt should be sensitive, especially in the case of girls. It's pathetic the way victim's body was dragged," ANI quoted Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson, NCPCR, as saying.