Kamduni rape victim`s family leaves Pratibadi Mancha

Kolkata: A day after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, family members of the Kamduni rape and murder victim have withdrawn from the Kamduni Pratibadi Mancha which was set up to seek justice for the 19-year-old college girl.

The family members submitted a letter to the secretary of Kamduni Pratibadi Mancha (KPM) yesterday in which they said they were "totally frustrated" with the way Mancha was handling the issue. "Using our family as a front, some political leaders and a section of the media are trying to malign the image of Mamata Banerjee and misguided us entirely. We have total faith in the assurances given by the CM. Thus we withdraw our membership from the Mancha," the letter said. "Considering the helpless condition of our family, our humanitarian CM has extended her total support with financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh, assurance to provide employment to three members in the family within seven days and an exemplary punishment to the culprits. This has restored our faith and trust on the CM," it said. The family members also alleged that some KPM leaders were more busy in reaping political and personal benefits from the issue than standing beside the helpless family. Last Saturday, the family members, accompanied by Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, met the CM at the state secretariat demanding a speedy trial in the case. The college student was gang-raped and murdered on June 7 at Kamduni village in North 24-Parganas district. The incident created a furore in the state. PTI