4 min readKolkataJul 7, 2026 09:36 PM IST
First published on: Jul 7, 2026 at 04:22 PM IST
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saayoni Ghosh and MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who recently broke away from the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, faced “go back”, “gaddar” (traitor), and “chor” (thief) slogans on Tuesday when they went to meet the family of the 11-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in Baruipur.
As Saayoni, who represents the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency of which Baruipur is a part, approached the girl’s house, she was greeted with the slogans, apparently targeting her over the recent defection. The crowd also questioned her visit three days after the incident.
Speaking to the girl’s mother, Saayoni said, “I have no words… We are with you. The Chief Minister will ensure that no mother loses their child as you did. This is not the time to think whether we are ISF, BJP, NCPI or TMC. We must all stand together against such a horrific crime. I am going to meet the Chief Minister. Strictest punishment will be given to the culprits.”
Assuring further help, she added, “Whenever you call me, I will be there for you. I have also shared my number with you and others here.”
Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee also visited the family along with rebel TMC leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Seuli Saha.
“We want capital punishment for the culprits. The Chief Minister has already said it, and we want it delivered. The previous government had passed the Aparajita Bill. It should be immediately made an Act,” said Dastidar.
The Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, unanimously passed by the West Bengal Assembly on September 3, 2024, after the entire state was rocked by the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, mandates death penalty for rape convictions if a sexual assault kills the victim or leaves them in a vegetative state, or life imprisonment for the remainder of the convict’s life.
A BJP delegation led by state Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul and former MP Locket Chatterjee also met the girl’s family.
While Mamata Banerjee was prevented from travelling to Baruipur, leaders from her camp – Biman Banerjee, Dola Sen and Pratima Mondal – visited the girl’s family on Monday.
Meanwhile, Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Siddh Nath Gupta visited the suspected crime spot on Tuesday. He was accompanied by members of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter and inspected the area.
Gupta, who also visited the girl’s family, said, “Investigation is underway and arrests have been made. If it is found that there were lapses on the part of the police, an inquiry will be conducted and action will be taken.”
The girl’s rape and murder, and the subsequent lynching of a local poses the first major law-and-order challenge for the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government, which has warned its political rivals against giving the incident a communal colour.
The political fallout comes at a time when the TMC faces an unprecedented internal crisis following its crushing poll debacle in May. While 20 out of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, 60 out of 80 TMC MLAs have also rebelled against Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, breaking away from the faction.
MP Saayoni Ghosh (LEFT) and MLA Ritabrata Banerjee. (Phots: X/@sayani06, @RitabrataBanerj) 
Share
