Calcutta High Court has handed over investigation responsibility in Hanskhali alleged rape and murder case to CBI. The order was passed by the chief justice’s division bench which required the CBI to submit its preliminary investigation report before the court on 2 May.
The Calcutta High Court concluded the hearing in a petition seeking the CBI investigation into the matter. Petitioner’s lawyer Anindya Sundar Das prayed for a CBI probe in the alleged rape and resultant death of the minor girl on the claim that the accused is the son of a panchayat leader belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
It was alleged that the girl had on April 4 gone to the birthday party of the accused at his residence in Hanskhali and was drugged before being raped. She died a day after allegedly owing to bleeding following the atrocity on her. A complaint was lodged on April 9 at Hanskhali police station by her family members who had remained mum about it allegedly owing to threats and pressure from the accused and his kin, according to the petition.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier drew lot of flak after she questioned if a minor girl who died after allegedly being raped in West Bengal’s Nadia district earlier this month had a love affair with the accused person, ANI reported.
“How do you know if she was raped?” Banerjee asked at an event in Kolkata. “The police are yet to ascertain the cause of the death. I had asked them [the police]. Was she pregnant or had a love affair or was sick?”
Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury while reacting Mamata statement said, “Despite being a woman, CM is giving statements that there was a love affair & other things. She is saying all these to divert public attention & save the culprits,” he says,” the Congress leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
BJP chief JP Nadda has formed a 5-member facts-finding committee to visit the place of rape and murder of a minor girl at Hanskhali, Nadia in West Bengal. The committee will submit its report at the earliest, as per the order