"Victim's parents want to mourn in peace": WB child panel chief on murder of Dalit girl

Uttar Dinajpur: Amid an uproar over the alleged gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) chairperson Sudeshna Roy on Sunday said the family members of the victim were "fed up" with all the spotlight around the incident want to mourn their daughter in peace.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Sunday, the SCPCR chairperson said, "The incident involves a minor girl. We took the details of the incident but decided not to bring it to the public domain." She said that the child rights panel spoke to the family and assured them of extending all possible help.
"We spoke to the family and before leaving for Kolkata we assured the family that we will push for the strictest punishment for anyone found guilty," Roy said, adding, "we told the family that we are with them at this difficult time".
Roy went on to add that she even shared her phone number with the victim's kin and asked them to reach her directly if in need of help.
"The family members told us that they were tired of having so many visitors over the last few days," Roy said, adding, "They said that they were also fed up with being questioned repeatedly in connection with the matter.'
On Thursday, the locals found the body of the minor, who had been reported missing. On Friday, locals staged a protest demanding justice for the minor.
In a response to the incident, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chief Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of shielding the "incompetent (police) officers" of the state.
Speaking to ANI, the NCPCR chief said, "The CM always tries to save the incompetent officers here. I consider CM Mamata Banerjee incompetent when it comes to children's safety in the state. Due to her negligence incidents happen and children die."
"And later on, on the basis of the CM's order, these incidents are covered up," he added.
Kanoongo also alleged that the state government commits mistakes and then tries to hide them. This kind of behaviour always interrupts the commission's work, he noted.
"Behavior of the state government has been the same for years, they themself commit mistakes and then try to hide them and because of this, they always interrupt the commission's work," he claimed.
Taking a jibe at the district magistrate, Kanoongo said, "The DM is incompetent. We are waiting for him but he hasn't come yet. The family has also alleged political connections of the accused."
Earlier on Saturday, SP North Dinajpur Sana Akhtar said the victim's post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance.
The SP claimed that the post-mortem report of the victim stated that the death was caused by a poisonous substance, adding that they would ask doctors to check for injuries indicative of a sexual assault, if any.
"The victim's post-mortem report shared by the doctors reveals that death was caused by a poisonous substance and there were no major injuries on her body. We will again ask doctors to examine if there was any injury that was indicative of a sexual assault," the North Dinajpur SP said.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, however, came down hard on the police, accusing them of playing down the incident and giving it the appearance of a suicide.
Claiming that such incidents had become a matter of routine in Bengal, he demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. (ANI)