Bengal cops suspended for laxity

The West Bengal government today suspended four policemen in West Midnapore district for dereliction of duty in case of a highway robbery and rape of five minor girls of a marriage party recently.

An official said the administration has confirmed it has evidence of attempts to hush up the case. A police official said at least seven armed robbers stopped the marriage party’s van last Saturday and looted valuables. Later, they forced five girls to a nearby jungle and allegedly raped them. Local people rescued the girls from the jungle where they were found on Sunday with their hands and mouth tied up.

Rape Without reprisal

• Dhantala in Nadia district: Marriage party looted, women raped. Police registered FIR almost a fortnight later. • Mathabhanga in Coochbehar district: Ganatantrik Mahila Samity (CPI(M)’s women wing member) alleged gangrape by party members. Police inaction and attempts by local party unit to suppress case till the victim went to press. • Gaighata in N 24 Parganas dist: Women in several villages tortured and raped for months by a crime cartel while police watched. The case came out when people rose in protest.

It is shocking that police suppressed the case for three days because as per reports to the government, a patrol unit had reached the spot within three hours of the crime but it reportedly did nothing as follow-up.

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District Magistrate M.V. Rao said police can register suo motu complaints in cases of rape or outrage of modesty, so ‘‘the plea that victims were reluctant to lodge complaints doesn’t hold ground. Obviously, victims will be hesitant because of the social stigma attached to such cases.’’

Meanwhile, medical examination of the rape victims have been carried out at the district hospital.