Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday voiced her concern against the media trial in the Hanskhali rape incident. Banerjee strongly condemned the media coverage of the incident and alleged that the media's motive is just to increase TRPs. She expressed doubt about the cause of a minor girl's death which her family attributed to gang rape. She even wondered if the class 9 student of Hanskhali in Nadia district died after a fall following a slap by someone. The chief minister also asked why the girl's family members lodged a police complaint five days after her death and cremating the body.
Opposition parties described Banerjee's statement as "shocking" and alleged that she seeks to shield the accused as he is the son of a leader of her party. The girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped at a birthday party at the house of the accused on April 5. She was bleeding profusely when she returned home and died later that night, according to her parents who lodged a police complaint on April 10.
"The police are yet to understand the cause of the death. I had asked them. Will you call it rape or was she pregnant? Was it (the fallout of) a love affair? Have you enquired about these? This is an unfortunate incident," Banerjee said while inaugurating the Biswa Banga Mela Prangan here. She said that her family members and local people knew about the affair between the girl and the accused.
"You (girl's family) also conducted the last rites of the body. I am talking as a layman. From where will they (police) get the evidence whether she was raped or she was pregnant or there was any other reason such as she was slapped by someone after which she fell ill," Banerjee said. A detailed investigation is being carried out, she said adding that she will ask the state commission for protection of child rights to take up the case. The girl died on April 5 and the police got the information on April 10, the TMC supremo said and asked about the cause of the delay. The opposition BJP panned Banerjee for her comment and wondered whether her remarks were aimed at influencing the probe.