Sandeshkhali gang-rape case: Calcutta HC orders police protection for victim

Kolkata, Jan 8 A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, directed the state police to provide 24-hour protection to the woman, who had earlier this week approached the court accusing the local cops of a lackadaisical investigation into her complaint of gang-rape against three men, including a local Trinamool Congress leader.

At the same time, the single judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta also directed the local police station to submit a report in the form of an affidavit on the progress of the investigation into the woman's complaint by January 12.

The state government counsel, on Wednesday, informed the court that there had been significant progress in the investigation of the matter and the process was on to file the charge sheet in the case. However, the victim’s counsel claimed that although the accused was constantly threatening her and her family members, there had been no action on the part of the local police.

Thereafter Justice Sengupta directed the state police to provide 24-hour police protection not only to the victim but the entire family besides asking the state police to file a progress report investigation.

In her petition, the victim alleged that the crime took place in May last year, and she and her family members approached the local police to act on the matter. She has now alleged that for all these months the cops have not moved an inch forward in the course of the investigation. At the same time, she and her family members are under pressure from the accused and their associates to withdraw the complaint at the local police station.

Among the three accused named one is Trinamool Congress’ block president in Sandeshkhali Dilip Mondal. Calcutta High Court had admitted the petition.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a yearend trip to Sandeshkhali on December 30, after avoiding such an initiative during the entire period of crisis there earlier this year following allegations of sexual harassment of local women and land grabbing of people by local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan.

While addressing a public meeting at Sandeshkhali on that day, the Chief Minister hinted towards the “money game” influencing the movement by locals there earlier this year.

On that very day, leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhujari conducted a protest at the same place, defying the last-minute denial of police permission for the same. He drew a comparison between Mamata Banerjee and the chief of the caretaker government in neighbouring Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus.