West Bengal: Teen 'forcibly cremated' after gangrape & murder, TMC leader’s son held
Hanskhali (West Bengal), April 11: A 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped by the son of a panchayat member owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and others at a birthday party in Nadia district of West Bengal, the police informed on Sunday.
Brajgopal Goala (21), the son of Samar Goala, a member of the local village panchayat, has been arrested in connection with this case.
“A case was registered after we received a complaint after seven days of the incident. The girl’s body has already been cremated,” a senior police official said.
The case was filed under Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(G) (gangrape), 302 (murder), and 204 (tampering with evidence) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the victim's family, Brajgopal invited her to his birthday party on April 4. He and others allegedly gang-raped the minor after they made her drink alcohol, the family claimed.
The 14-year-old died the next morning due to excessive bleeding, the family informed.
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The minor's mother alleged that a group of people forcibly took the minor’s body for cremation even before her death certificate was issued, according to a News18 report. She further accused Brajgopal and his friends of threatening them against informing the police.
“The family lodged a complaint at the Hanskhali police station on Saturday seeking the arrest of the culprits,” said the official.
Sashi Panja, a top TMC leader and the state's Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to the news by saying the ruling party has zero tolerance for abuse of minors and women. She stated that there should be no politics over the incident and police will do everything possible to investigate and take further action.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has called a 12-hour protest bandh on Monday. The party’s mahila morcha president Tanuja Chakraborty is also likely to visit the victim's family.
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-PTC News
