National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on April 23 lashed out at the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and said that she is incompetent in tackling child safety.
On April 22, Kanoongo reached Uttar Dinajpur’s Kaliaganj following the rape and murder of a 17-year-old Dalit girl. Kanoongo was accompanied by three other representatives of the NCPCR.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Kanoongo said, “Behavior of the state government has been same for years, they themselves commit mistakes and then try to hide them and because of this they always interrupt the commission’s work.”
“The chief minister always tries to save the incompetent officers here. I consider 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 further added.
He also alleged that the police were yet to speak to the victim’s family and Chief Secretary of the state and the North Dinajpur Collector are not responding despite the organisation informed them about the incident.
Notably, before his visit to the town, Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in parts of Kaliaganj on April 23 after clashes broke out between the locals and police over the incident in the district on April 22.
The police have arrested six people so far in connection with their involvement in violence with police and vandalism.
The minor went missing on April 20 after she went for her tuition classes and could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and local people.
Later, he said her body was found floating in the waters of a canal. Reports have claimed that one Javed Akhtar and his accomplice have raped in the minor girl.
New agency ANI reported, “Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathi-charge against protesters who were demonstrating over the alleged rape and murder of a girl in Kaliyaganj in North Dinajpur”
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“Two people have been arrested based on the complaint given by the deceased’s family. Police had to use tear gas at the protesters to recover the victim’s body from them to ensure an early post-mortem so that important evidence is not lost. The incident will be properly investigated, said Superintendent of Police Raiganj, North Dinajpur”.
A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother. Two people have been arrested based on the complaint.
The girl, is a resident of Gangua village near saheb ghata in the district’s Paloibari area, and belongs to the Rajbongshi Community. As per the locals, the minor has allegedly been raped by Javed and four other Muslim boys, including a government official.
