Kamduni gang-rape case 2013: Victim's kin urge CM Adhikari to reopen file
Synopsis
More than a decade after the Kamduni gang-rape and murder, the victim's family is back at the doors of power — this time at a BJP 'Janata Darbar' — demanding the case file be reopened after the Calcutta High Court slashed death sentences to life imprisonment and freed four convicts on bail in 2023. CM Adhikari has reportedly assured them of justice.
Key Takeaways
Moushumi Kayal and Tumpa Kayal met West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on 15 July at the BJP state office in Salt Lake, Kolkata , demanding the reopening of the Kamduni case file .
The meeting was held under the BJP government's weekly 'Janata Darbar' public grievance programme; the family was reportedly assured of justice.
On 7 June 2013 , a young woman from Kamduni, North 24 Parganas was gang-raped and murdered; the case drew massive protests.
The City Sessions Court in 2016 sentenced Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali to death, and four others to life imprisonment.
The Calcutta High Court on 6 October 2023 reduced the death sentences to life imprisonment and cut the remaining four convicts' terms to seven years , granting them bail on a ₹10,000 bond.
The previous state government challenged the High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court ; the family now wants the current BJP government to pursue the case with a government lawyer.
The family and friends of the Kamduni gang-rape and murder victim on Wednesday, 15 July approached West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state office in Salt Lake, Kolkata, urging him to reopen the Kamduni case file. Moushumi Kayal and Tumpa Kayal — two prominent faces of the justice movement since the crime in 2013 — carried a physical file labelled 'Kamduni Case File' and presented their demands directly to the Chief Minister. They were reportedly assured of justice following the meeting.
The Janata Darbar Platform
The meeting took place under the BJP government's 'Janata Darbar' initiative — a weekly public grievance programme held at the party's state office in Salt Lake. The programme is designed to give ordinary citizens direct access to Chief Minister Adhikari, who personally attends and listens to their concerns. The Kamduni family's appearance at this forum signals their continued push for accountability through every available channel.
What the Victim's Friends Demanded
Moushumi Kayal told reporters: 'During the previous government, the convicts were sentenced to be hanged by the fast-track court. But the convicts were released. Today, we have appeared before the public court demanding that the Kamduni file be reopened. Let us get justice again because the previous government did not give us justice. So, the victim's family, Tumpa Kayal, I and all of us have come before the public court with a request to get justice.'
Tumpa Kayal added: 'We have many demands. We will appeal to our Chief Minister as much as we can because we have complete trust in the Chief Minister. He announced in Baruipur that he will provide legal assistance in the Kamduni case and will reopen the Kamduni case with a government lawyer. The previous government had transferred 14 public prosecutors to acquit the Kamduni convicts. Those convicts should be given exemplary punishment. We have come to the Chief Minister today with this request.'
Background: The 2013 Crime and Its Legal Journey
On 7 June 2013, a young woman in her twenties from Kamduni in North 24 Parganas district was gang-raped and murdered. The case triggered widespread protests across West Bengal. In 2016, the City Sessions Court sentenced two of the six accused — Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali — to death, and the remaining four — Amin Ali, Aminul Islam, Bhola Naskar, and Enamul Haque — to life imprisonment.
However, in a verdict delivered on 6 October 2023, the Calcutta High Court reduced the death sentences of Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali to life imprisonment. The court also reduced the sentences of the remaining four from life imprisonment to seven years, and granted them bail on a bond of ₹10,000 each, noting that they had already spent 10 years in custody.
State Government's Legal Challenge
The previous state government subsequently approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's verdict. The current BJP administration, which came to power amid public anger over such cases, now faces pressure from the victim's family to go further — by formally reopening the case file and deploying a government lawyer to pursue stronger punishment for all six convicts. This comes amid broader scrutiny of how the criminal justice system has handled high-profile sexual violence cases in West Bengal.
Point of View
Now as a test of the BJP government's willingness to back its promises with legal action. The Calcutta High Court's 2023 decision to slash death sentences and free four convicts on a ₹10,000 bail — after they served 10 years — has handed the current government both a political opening and a legal obligation. The real question is whether 'Janata Darbar' assurances translate into a concrete Supreme Court intervention, or whether the Kamduni family finds itself, once again, waiting for a justice system that has repeatedly failed them.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kamduni case?
The Kamduni case refers to the gang-rape and murder of a young woman from Kamduni village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on 7 June 2013. Six men were convicted — two were initially sentenced to death and four to life imprisonment — but the Calcutta High Court reduced all sentences in October 2023.
Why are the victim's family and friends demanding the case be reopened?
They are demanding a reopening because the Calcutta High Court in October 2023 reduced the death sentences of two convicts to life imprisonment and cut the sentences of four others from life imprisonment to seven years, also granting them bail. The family argues this amounts to a denial of justice and wants the current BJP government to pursue exemplary punishment through a government lawyer.
What did CM Suvendu Adhikari say at the Janata Darbar meeting?
According to reports, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured the family of justice after they presented their demands at the BJP state office in Salt Lake, Kolkata, on 15 July. He had earlier announced in Baruipur that his government would provide legal assistance and reopen the Kamduni case with a government lawyer.
What is the current legal status of the Kamduni convicts?
As of the Calcutta High Court's verdict on 6 October 2023, convicts Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Amin Ali, Aminul Islam, Bhola Naskar, and Enamul Haque had their life sentences reduced to seven years and were granted bail on a ₹10,000 bond each, having served 10 years in custody. The previous state government challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court.
What is the BJP's 'Janata Darbar' programme?
The 'Janata Darbar' is a weekly public grievance redressal programme run by the BJP state government in West Bengal, held at the party's state office in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari personally attends and directly addresses the concerns of ordinary citizens who appear before him.
