The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry in the alleged gangrape and murder of a 14-year-old in West Bengal’s Nadia district, The Indian Express reported.
A division bench comprising Justices Prakash Srivastava and Rajarshi Bharadwaj asked the agency to submit a report on the investigation on May 2. This is the fifth case in the last two weeks where a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry has been ordered by the court in the state, according to The Telegraph.
The 14-year-old was allegedly gang-raped at a birthday party organised by Braja Gopal Goala, the son of local Trinamool Congress leader Samar Goala. In a police complaint lodged on April 10, the family said that the girl started to bleed profusely after the party and died a day later on April 5.
Braja Gopal Goala was arrested after the complaint was registered. Another accused person, Prabhakar Poddar, was arrested on Tuesday, based on the statement given by Braja Gopal Goala to the police.
In Tuesday’s order, the High Court said it was transferring the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police.
“The concerned authorities are also directed to extend full protection to the family members of the victim and witnesses of the case,” the court said in its order, The Indian Express reported.
The court also noted that the entire case might be based upon circumstantial evidence since the girl’s body was cremated hurriedly. “Therefore, minute investigation with advanced technology is required,” it said in the order.
The girl’s family had alleged that after facing pressure from Samar Goala, they had to cremate the body before an autopsy could be conducted.
NCW chairperson calls out Mamata Banerjee
The National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma on Tuesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on the case were “unfortunate”, ANI reported.
“Being a woman, she should understand the pain of another woman,” Sharma said. “She [Mamata] pointed fingers at the victim, it was wrong.”
On Tuesday, Banerjee questioned whether the minor girl had a love affair with the accused person in the rape case.
“How do you know if she was raped?” Banerjee had remarked at an event in Kolkata. “The police are yet to ascertain the cause of the death. I had asked them [the police]. Was she pregnant or had a love affair or was sick?”
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