West Bengal Shocker: Video of police dragging rape victim's body sparks outrage; stones pelted, cops lathi-charge protestors

Dinajpur rape case: The case of the death of a minor girl student in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal has led to a tense situation in the region. The student of class 10 was allegedly killed after being gang-raped.

The girl had reportedly been missing since Thursday evening after she left home to attend tuition classes in evening. Despite efforts to find her, the family had not found her and registered a police complaint following morning.

Last Sunday, according to a report in Hindi, the locals found her body in a canal.

Tensions prevailed

Protests over the death turned violent on Saturday with villagers torching a shop, prompting the police to resort to lathi charge and fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. The Rapid Action Force was also deployed at the area to prevent any further untoward incident.

The mob burnt tires, blocked roads and also pelted stones at the police; in retaliation, the cops lathi-charged and fired tear gas shells.

Video viral

Meanwhile, a video has been circulating on social media where the cops are seen insenstively dragging the minor's mortal remains. They are seen running with the body in the empty road surrounded by other personnel guarding them.

Politics heated up

Since the video has gone viral, the Opposition in West Bengal has been slamming Mamata Bannerjee government and the state police force for their behaviour. The BJP slammed police alleging anarchy in state and also alleged that the cops are busy making security arrangements for her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's visit next month.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday blasted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the rape victim's body dragging video surfaced online.

BJP national executive member and co-in charge of West Bengal Amit Malviya said that 'such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime'.

"In this video, the body West Bengal Police is insensitively dragging is that of a minor rape and murder victim from the Rajbongshi community in Uttar Dinajpur’s Kaliaganj. Such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime...Shockingly, Mamata Banerjee’s administration didn’t allow local BJP MLAs Satyendra Nath Ray (from the Rajbongshi community) and Budhrai Tudu to visit the victim’s family but let Uttar Dinajpur TMC President Kanaia Lal Agarwal meet them. Who are they trying to save here?" posted Malviya on Twitter.

BJP delegation visits victim's house

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by state party president Sukanta Majumdar visited the house of the teenager and also wanted to meet the superintendent of police (SP).

However, the meeting between the SP and the BJP delegation did not take place. The BJP then protested in front of the SP's office, following which Majumdar claimed that the police had failed to probe the incident properly. The BJP has also posted a video in the social media where the police is seen dragging the body of the dead teenager.

Meanwhile, the state women and child protection commission met the victim’s family and demanded strict punishment for the culprits.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanungo also visited the state to meet the bereaved family. Children are not ‘safe’ in Bengal, Kanungo told the media.

“The mother of the victim has informed me and I will go to meet them. The way the police were seen dragging the body of the deceased is wrong. Children are not safe in Bengal and the culprits should be punished,” she said.

The National Women Rights Commission also sent a letter to the director general of police demanding the registration of an FIR against the culprits and seeking a report in three days.

Trinamool Congress state general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged that the BJP is playing “politics of vultures”. “When rape and killing happens in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP ruled states, no commission goes there. Before the reason of death is ascertained, the BJP is playing politics over death. The TMC condemns such incidents and the central government report also suggests that Bengal is the safest place for women and children,” Ghosh said.

Probe underway

Meanwhile, the police claim that they have arrested accused persons and are interrogating them. They also stated that no injury marks were found on girl's body and that a poison bottle was also recovered from the place where the body was recovered from.

Presently, body's post mortem is underway. Meanwhile, the BJP is alleging that the police is acting in haste and is trying to cover up the crime.