WB gangrape case: NCW demands inquiry against police officials

The National Commission for Women today demanded that the West Bengal government suspend and order an inquiry against police officials who allegedly ill-treated the family of a 16-year-old girl who was gangraped and murdered.

"We have written to the West Bengal Chief Minister demanding that police officials who ill-treated the girl's family be suspended and an inquiry be initiated against them," NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said after meeting family members of the girl here today.

"We have also asked Mamata Banerjee to provide police protection to the victim's family and compensation," she said, adding a delegation of NCW would soon visit West Bengal along with representatives of some women outfits to take cognisance of the situation there.

Earlier in the day, family members of the gangrape victim submitted a memorandum to the NCW chairperson demanding stiff action against the perpetrators.

"We have been denied justice by the West Bengal government and the state administration, which did not take immediate action against the perpetrators of the crime," they said.

"later the same miscreants, some of whom are known to be close to the ruling party in the state, abducted and burnt her alive, as punishment for having dared to lodge a complaint against them," the father of the girl stated.

The victim, who was gangraped twice in October had died on December 31, following burn injuries. Her family members had claimed that she was burnt alive by the culprits.

"Initially police tried to cover up the case, saying it was an outcome of a quarrel between landlord and tenant but finally two persons named in the FIR were arrested and remanded in jail custody," the girl's father said.

"The police, who have been negligent about the security of our daughter...After her death, hijacked her body...And tried to cremate her. They exerted pressure on us, but we did not yield, and on the morning of January 1, they were forced to hand over the body to us," the father said.

The family also demanded an impartial enquiry against all the persons involved in the crime including policemen and health officers in R G Kar Medical College Hospital.