Aware that the State’s alleged slapdash handling of the Madhyamgram gangrape-and-murder case had hurt the feelings of a large section of Hindi-speaking voters ahead of the general elections, West Bengal Government on Friday made a belated yet smart move proposing to set up a special investigation team — led by senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen — to probe the case.
Already on the back-foot for handling the issue in an alleged insensitive manner the State Government on Friday submitted before the Calcutta High Court that it was willing to appoint a team under Sen who had earned a public accolade in 2012 for defying the Government line in cracking the infamous Park Street rape case.
While Chief Minister insisted that Park Street rape was stage-managed by the Opposition Sen finally cracked the case arresting the accused and establishing prima facie the truth behind the allegations. She was later transferred to a comparatively disturbed Darjeeling zone before being retransferred as a DIG, CID.
RK Jha the father of the 16-year-old Madhyamgram victim who had come from Samastipur in Bihar in search of better prospects for the family had to pay the ultimate price when her only daughter was repeatedly raped and burnt to death in December last year by goons allegedly getting shelter from the police and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
He filed a case before High Court seeking proper investigation and security for the family alleging the ruling party goons were asking him to go back to Bihar and threatening him with death should he not withdraw the rape-and-murder-case. In an apparent move to exploit the good reputation of Sen the State through Advocate General Bimal Chatterjee said the Government was ready to probe the case through an SIT under the daring IPS officer.
The Court reportedly asked the Government to ensure protection for the family and report to it in the next hearing the consent of Sen to head the probe. The case had hit the national headlines after the news that the police literally did nothing even after complaints of rape was lodged. In fact the girl was raped the very evening when she was returning from the police station lodging the complaint.
later the family which was under immense pressure from the goons who were apparently hand-in-glove with the police to withdraw the case shifted its residence close to Kolkata. Notwithstanding the culprits attacked her at her residence when she was alone and set her afire after raping her for the third time. She died at a Government hospital after fighting with death for a week.