The spectre of gang-rape now loomed large in North Bengal with the management of a Christian missionary school in Jalpaiguri district getting rape-and-burn threats against girl students and Sisters if a senior nun whose name was mentioned in the letter did not leave the campus forthwith. The matter was taken up with the district police that on Wednesdayassured adequate bandobast.
The Jalpaiguri incident came close on the heels of Ranaghat case where a 72-year-old nun of a missionary school was gang-raped by a gang of raiders who still remain at large even after 12 days of the midnight attack. According to reports, the school at Champaguri in Jalpaiguri received four letters from unknown persons. The letters’ main target was a senior nun. It was demanded that she be removed from the school otherwise other women including children could face the risk of rape. They could even be burnt after rape the letters threatened.
A police picket was immediately posted at the school said district superintendent Rabindranathan adding investigations were on. The school authorities were particularly worried about the safety of the 300 boarders who lived in a hostel inside the school campus, sources said. lashing out at the State Government for the deteriorating law and order situation BJP leader and the party’s central observer for Bengal Siddharth Nath Singh said the “the law and situation is horrible in Bengal. The police have failed to arrest the culprits of the Ranaghat gang-rape case even there were CCTV footages. The police did not arrest the culprits even after a newspaper made their names public. This has encouraged other criminals.”
He added similar attacks on churches in Haryana or Maharashtra had seen the Government act immediately and “within 48 hours the culprits were arrested.” The State Congress leadership said those running the Trinamool Government “control the anti-social elements. There is no difference between those who are in power and those who break laws.” CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakrabarty said “the people are now gradually realizing that only left Front can bring order in the State.”