Prohibitory Orders Imposed In West Bengal's Kaliaganj After Protests Over Minor Girl's Death, 6 Arrested

A complaint has been registered by the minor girl's mother under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Kaliaganj: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district on Sunday, following clashes between police and locals over the death of a 17-year-old girl. The prohibitory orders were imposed hours before the visit of a team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) led by its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo to meet the family members of the deceased girl.

"Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed for a fortnight from today as a precautionary measure, though the duration is subject to review. As per the law, we will not allow a congregation of four or more people. Actions will be taken against violators," an official said. Kanoongo, however, was allowed to visit the girl's family along with three other representatives of the NCPCR. He was accompanied by police.

After spending around two hours with them, Kanoongo alleged that the police were yet to speak to the victim's family. "After speaking to the family members of the victim, we have come to know that police are yet to record statements of any of the family members of the victim. They (Police) must not reach any conclusion before doing so," Kanoongo told reporters.

NCPCR Vs WBCPCR

The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights alleged that Kanoongo and his team visited the area in a bid to "politicise the matter" and that they were violating the CPCR Act. WBCPCR chairperson Ananya Chakraborty termed that the NCPCR team's visit was "absolutely not needed". "The NCPCR blatantly violated the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act and its team entered West Bengal illegally with the sole purpose of maligning the state. They took along with them a group of journalists to the deceased's house in complete violation of the prohibitory orders. This is shameful. They should have informed us about their visit and taken our feedback in the case," Chakraborty told PTI.

The NCPCR team's visit sparked a war of words between the BJP and the TMC. "The state government has utterly failed in preventing atrocities against women and children. When people of Kaliaganj agitated against the brutal murder of the girl, the police beat them up and took the body in the most insensitive manner, hurting the sentiments of the people," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

He alleged that rather than working together with the NCPCR, which has "every right to rush to the side of the distressed", the WBCPCR, at the "behest of the TMC government", was objecting to the visit of the central panel and also not coming by the side of the deceased's family.

"We want justice for the bereaved family as well as oppressed minors. In the present situation, that can be delivered only by the NCPCR. The state should not politicise the matter," he said. Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, on the other hand, alleged that the NCPCR chief visited the place for "political reasons".

"The death of the young girl is tragic and police are investigating the incident. But before the completion of the probe, the BJP is trying to fish in troubled waters by instigating violence. They are visiting the area and provoking people by stoking rumours," he said.

This has "forced the administration to clamp the prohibitory orders" in some areas, the TMC spokesperson said. "Where was the pressing need for the NCPCR chief to visit the area with a large group of journalists now? His visit is politically motivated," Ghosh said.

Heavy Police Presence In Kaliaganj 

Meanwhile, an eerie calm prevailed at Kaliaganj amid a heavy deployment of police forces in the area. Six people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the clashes with police and vandalism following the recovery of the minor's body from a canal on Friday.

Based on a complaint filed by the girl's mother, a case was registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The preliminary post-mortem report revealed that there was no injury to the body, Uttar Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Md Sana Akhtar claimed.

Meanwhile, activists of the BJP blocked a road and burnt tyres at Garia crossing in south Kolkata on Sunday evening, in a bid to protest against the alleged rise in atrocities on minors and women. The agitation disrupted traffic movement on N S C Bose Road and S C Mallik Road.

BJP's south Kolkata district unit president Sanghamitra Choudhury said protestors blocked the crossing for 10 minutes. A police official said the blockade briefly disrupted traffic movement in the evening hours but as the agitators left the spot after 10-15 minutes, the situation returned to normal.