TMC, Left lock horns over minor gang-rape victim`s death in Kolkata

Zee Media Bureau

Kolkata: The father of a 16-year-old gang-rape victim, who died on Tuesday, has filed a complaint against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who holds the Health portfolio. The aggrieved father has accused the state-run RG Kar Medical College authorities of medical negligence and filed complaint against the CM and Superintendent of the hospital where the girl was admitted. The young girl was gang-raped on October 25 and thereafter repeatedly threatened by the accused, following which the traumatised girl set herself on fire December 23. She was admitted to the hospital with 40 percent burns and finally succumbed to her burn injuries yesterday. The gang-rape incident has taken a political colour with CPI(M) protesting against the Trinamool Congress. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case. The girl was first gang-raped on October 25 by the gang of six and when next day she was returning home after filing a police complaint she was allegedly dragged away by the same accused and again gang-raped. Speaking to the media, the girl`s brother alleged that the Police wanted to suppress the case. The 16-year-old`s brother demanded death sentence for the accused. Left parties and Kolkata Police were today involved in a tussle over the cremation of the body of a 16-year-old gangrape victim, who died in a city hospital after attempting suicide. The girl, who had been brutalised twice on October 25, had died at government-run city hospital yesterday from burns sustained when she tried to immolate herself on December 23. The girl`s father, who is a taxi driver and close to CITU, said it was decided by the family and the trade union that the body would be kept at Peace Haven mortuary in the city and a condolence rally with the body will be taken out during the day. But the body was taken away forcefully by the police for cremation when it was being taken to the mortuary late last night without the family`s consent, the girl`s father and CITU sources said. Ruling TMC accused the Left Front of launching a "wrong propaganda" against the state government over the suicide of a 16-year-old gang-rape victim. "The CPI(M) is alienated from the people and they are desperately trying to launch a wrong propaganda against the government over this (gang-rape) issue. But the people will not accept this," TMC general secretary Mukul Roy said. Meanwhile, National Commission for Women chairperson Mamta Sharma said that she would write to the West Bengal CM and ask as to what action she was taking. Sharma said that if the police had been active the girl wouldn`t have been raped twice. She further said that she would send a committee to inspect the case.