Stopped from talking to rape victim’s family: NCPCR chief in Malda

WB Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Sudeshna Roy said, “We are here to help NCPCR, but they do not want our cooperation. They felt that we were trying to hide something which is not true.”

Written by Sweety Kumari

Kolkata | Updated: April 2, 2023 05:07 AM IST

2 min read

On March 18, a 13-year-old student was allegedly raped inside school premises. The NCPCR had sought suo moto cognizance in the case. (Express Photo)

Listen to this article

Your browser does not support the audio element.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo alleged that he was stopped by officials of the state child rights body from speaking to the family of a minor rape victim in Malda district of West Bengal on Saturday.

“I was shocked to see that the victim’s house had no toilet. She is a sexual abuse victim and is forced to go in the open to attend the call of nature. We have visited two places and inquired about two cases (of crimes against children). Child rights are not in safe hands in Bengal. Police are not well trained. They don’t even know how to collect forensic samples. We will submit a report of both the cases to the home department,” Kanoongo told The Indian Express.

According to sources, when Kanoongo reached the victim’s house in Malda district on Saturday morning, his team found that West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) chairperson Sudeshna Roy was already present at the spot. The state commision was accompanied by the local police. Kanoongo alleged that the police and the state panel stopped him from speaking to the victim and her family in private. Soon after, Kanoongo and Roy reportedly got into a verbal spat. Sources said BJP and TMC supporters also gathered in the area.

On March 18, a 13-year-old student was allegedly raped inside school premises. The NCPCR had sought suo moto cognizance in the case.

On Friday, Kanoongo had claimed that he was allegedly manhandled by the local police in Tiljala area while visiting the residence of a minor girl in Kolkata, who was killed earlier this week. “Bengal police officer Biswak Mukherjee beat me up at Tiljala police station in West Bengal. Policemen were secretly recording our investigation proceedings,” Kanoongo tweeted in Hindi on Friday.

An FIR was lodged in the case. Sources said Tiljala police station officer in charge Biswak Mukherjee has been sent on leave.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags: