The gang-rape of a tribal girl allegedly on the orders of a khap panchayat in Birbhum district on January 21 was condemned on Thursday by political parties cutting across the party lines.
Ruling Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Awoke to a terrible news of a young tribal girl gang-raped on khap orders in Birbhum. 10 ‘beasts’ swiftly rounded up. Social malaise; must change.”
Stating that the police and administration did not sit idle and 13 of the accused were immediately arrested, president of TMC, Birbhum district, Anubrata Mondol, said the perpetrators should be given strong punishment.
CPI(M) central committee member Mohammed Salim said, “What has happened is barbaric, savage and uncivilised. Such incidents are unexpected in Bengal.”
He alleged that incidents of rape had increased in the State as the police were not taking proper steps when such cases were reported and the perpetrators went scot-free.
State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said, “We are going back to 16th century. This is unprecedented and unacceptable. The State Government should take steps to control such
incidents.”
Women’s commission to order probe
The West Bengal women’s commission will make a suo motu investigation into the gang-rape of a tribal girl.
“We will order a probe into the incident on Friday. The district SP will be asked to probe the matter and submit a report to the commission within 10 days,” State women’s commission chairperson Sunanda Goswami said.
In an incident that shook the country, the 20-year-old tribal girl was ordered to be gang-raped by the khap panchayat known locally as “salishi sabha”, in labhpur area for having an affair with a man from a different community, on January 21.