Nothing to show in rape probe, cops focus on those who blocked Mamata

Police have lodged a suo motu case against the protesters that mostly included students of the convent.

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Mamata Banerjee (Source: PTI)

Having made no headway in the rape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent in Ranaghat, the West Bengal police has now shifted focus and is probing the case of “blocking of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s convoy” on March 16 when she was returning after meeting the victim. Police have lodged a suo motu case against the protesters that mostly included students of the convent, their guardians and some locals who were all demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

A police statement claimed that “some anti-socials, rowdy elements and some persons belonging to different political parties and some radical elements were identified” who were “instigating the persons present at the spot to obstruct CM’s convoy forcefully”.

The protesters have been charged under five sections which include those for rioting, unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, obstructing public way or line of navigation and obstructing public servant from discharging his duty.

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Terming the protest as a “planned conspiracy by outsiders and political opponents”, TMC’s Nadia district president, Gauri Dutta said, “The protest was hijacked by some extremist groups and some political persons. They did it in a planned way to harass the CM and they have to pay for it”.

He said churches were vandalized in Delhi, while priests were attacked in Orissa. “But the CMs there never took the initiative and tried to reach out. It was done by Mamata Banerjee and (yet) she was harassed in this way. We have identified many political and ultra Left people who were present in the mob,” he added.

The TMC, in a show of strength, taken out a protest rally in Ranaghat on March 17 condemning the blockade. Dutta claimed that the people of Ranaghat would “take the revenge of this insult to CM” in the upcoming municipal elections.

“We will capture all 20 seats in Ranaghat municipality and that will be the answer of the people.”

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Ranaghat municipality is now controlled by TMC, which had captured 18 seats.

In Delhi, CPI-M demanded stern action against the police for taking no action in the case for six days. “The government has always shown callous approach and inordinate delay. What is more deplorable is that police have lodged cases against those, who were protesting this heinous incident,” party leader Surya Kant Mishra said.

When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking cognisance of the rape incident, Mishra said, “There has been a secret understanding between Prime Minister and Chief Minister of West Bengal. Some dealings have been finalised which was apparent after what happened today in the parliament,” he said.

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