Mamata casts doubt over rape, murder of minor; Opp calls her remarks ‘insensitive’

Speaking in the presence of West Bengal Police chief Manoj Malaviya at an event in Kolkata, Mamata said “the girl was having an affair with the accused” and Opposition parties and media were giving a “political twist” to the incident.

“What happened is bad. I condemn it. But I have heard that the accused and girl were having a love affair. People in their neighbourhood knew. Their families knew. Everyone knew…,” she said.

“The incident is said to have taken place on April 5 and the FIR was registered on April 10. Why? From where will the police get evidence now?” Banerjee said as she looked towards the DGP, saying, “Am I right or wrong?”

The girl’s family alleged that the main accused had invited her to his birthday party on April 4, where she was allegedly gangraped after being made to drink alcohol. She died the next morning due to excessive bleeding, the family said.

Lambasting Mamata for her statement, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “ Does this victim not fall under TMC’s Maa, Mati, Manush (mother, land, people) governance? Why is the CM playing the role of devil’s advocate? Why is she defending those who committed the crime?”

Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “The way Mamata has described the incident is unfortunate. Is it a deliberate attempt to shield the culprits?”

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said, “Look at the language she is speaking? There is no rule of law. People should rethink whom they have voted to power,” said Adhikari. He also met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and apprised him of the incident.

Meanwhile, BJYM workers held protests near Calcutta University and termed her statemen “insensitive”.

Mamata, meanwhile, rejected the Opposition’s charge that her government was shielding the accused as his father is a TMC leader. “Here, police act according to the law. This is not Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh,” Mamata said.