On Friday, the convoy of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chief Priyank Kanoongo was halted by the citizens of Hooghly district in West Bengal when he arrived to meet the family of a minor girl who was found dead in Baidyabati. The protesters didn’t allow Kanoongo to meet the family of the victim and also raised black flags in protest. Kanoongo was accompanied by BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal on October 14.
#WATCH | West Bengal: The convoy of NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo was stopped by people who also showed black flags when he, along with complainant & BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal, arrived to meet the family of a minor girl who was found dead, in Baidyabati, Hooghly district. pic.twitter.com/JHxhogo1aH
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2022
The NCPCR chief slammed the TMC government in the state and said that the state had failed to provide security to the children. “When this government can’t provide security to the Commission, we can imagine their failure in providing security to children. A child has been murdered. Goons of the ruling party are blocking the way and stopping us from meeting the family. We will leave only after meeting them”, Kanoongo said.
#WATCH | West Bengal: The convoy of NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo was stopped by people who also showed black flags when he, along with complainant & BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal, arrived to meet the family of a minor girl who was found dead, in Baidyabati, Hooghly district. pic.twitter.com/JHxhogo1aH
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2022
According to the reports, the protesters were allegedly supported by the TMC workers who raised black flags and stopped the NCPCR chief from meeting the family members of the victim. The girl, who had gone missing from Krishnapur village in Hooghly district on the night of Dussehra (October 5), was found dead on October 8. The corpse was discovered floating in a lake near her home. The girl’s family claims that she was brutally raped first and then killed.
The girl, according to the family, had gone out on a bicycle with her cousin to visit a Durga Puja pandal but never returned home. The district of Hooghly is witnessing tensions since the discovery of the dead body of the minor girl. Reportedly, several members of the BJP, Congress, and also CPM visited the area to meet the family members of the victim but had to face protests from the residents.
Reports mention that the Congress delegation who had gone to meet the family members of the victim on Sunday were forced out of the village. “We stand in solidarity with the victim’s family. But the locals misunderstood us and did not allow us to enter the village. Police are working on the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who says there is no crime involved in the incident”, said Kamakhyanarayan Singh, a member of the congressional delegation and a councilor from the Uttarpara Municipality.
Also, BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal and party MLA Biman Ghosh with other district leaders earlier met the local police and demanded a thorough investigation into the case. “The police’s job is not to manage the situation. Their primary role is to investigate it. So many days have passed since the incident took place and police cannot say whether the rape happened or not. The police have acted as per the guidelines set by CM Mamata Banerjee, as she always tries to cover up rape incidents. This is not just kidnapping. Sections of murder and the POCSO Act should be added to the FIR. We will extend legal help to the family if needed”, Tibrewal was quoted.
Later a CPM delegation led by party district secretary Debbrata Ghosh paid a visit to the family members of the victim. The Police in the case has arrested 4 accused including 3 juveniles on charges of sexually assaulting and murdering the 13-year-old girl. The Police also confirmed that the victim had been molested before one of them pushed her into the lake. “The four were drunk at the time of the incident. They were arrested on Sunday night from an area which is nearly 1km from the place where the victim’s body was found”, Hooghly Superintendent of Police (rural) Amandeep was quoted as saying.
A case has been registered under Sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping), and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused.
