Calcutta High Court Orders Police Protection for Gang-Rape Victim in Sandeshkhali Case
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Kolkata, Jan 8 (NationPress) A solitary judge panel of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, instructed the state police to provide round-the-clock protection to the woman, who had approached the court earlier this week claiming that local authorities were conducting a lackluster investigation into her allegations of gang-rape involving three men, one of whom is a leader in the local Trinamool Congress.
At the same time, Justice Jay Sengupta, presiding over the bench, ordered the local police station to file an affidavit detailing the progress of the investigation into the woman’s complaint by January 12.
The state government’s attorney informed the court that there had been notable advancements in the investigation, with plans underway to file a charge sheet. However, the victim’s attorney asserted that despite ongoing threats from the accused towards her and her family, the local police had taken no action.
Consequently, Justice Sengupta mandated the state police to extend 24-hour protection not only to the victim but also to her entire family, while also requiring a progress report on the investigation.
In her petition, the victim claimed that the incident occurred in May of the previous year, and she, along with her family, had sought police intervention. She now alleges that for months, the police have made no progress in the investigation. Moreover, both she and her family are reportedly being pressured by the accused and their associates to withdraw their complaint.
One of the three accused is identified as Dilip Mondal, the block president of the Trinamool Congress in Sandeshkhali. The Calcutta High Court has accepted her petition.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Sandeshkhali on December 30, after previously avoiding the area during the crisis earlier this year, which included allegations of sexual harassment of local women and land grabbing by local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan.
During her public address in Sandeshkhali on that day, the Chief Minister alluded to a “money game” that has been affecting local movements.
On the same day, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, held a protest in the same area, disregarding the police's last-minute refusal to grant permission. He drew parallels between Mamata Banerjee and the caretaker government leader of neighboring Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus.
