A 22-year-old physically challenged girl in South Dinajpur was raped by a suspected Trinamool worker of her locality last Sunday, who also tried to kill her after the crime and later offered a “cash compensation” at a “shalishi sabha”.
The incident came to light on Friday as the victim, under treatment at a hospital,
was released.
Sources said the girl, who has locomotion issues and also cannot communicate properly, stays with her relatives. Her parents and brother are migrant workers.
“On Sunday, while she was alone at home, the person raped her and also tried to kill her. We learned about the incident on Monday,” said the victim’s uncle.
According to him, on the same day, a “salishi sabha” was convened at the village where the accused’s family offered ₹7,000 as “compensation”.
“When we said no, they offered us ₹40,000. We spoke to her parents, who told us to ignore the offer and take legal steps,” he added.
A police team reached the village on Tuesday night. They took the girl to a hospital where she was admitted for treatment.
On Wednesday, her family filed a complaint with the police, prompting the accused to go into hiding.
“Police officers told us they are searching for him. We suspect that as he is a Trinamool worker, the police are not arresting him,” said the uncle. “We want his punishment.”
With the incident coming to light, the BJP trained its guns on Trinamool. “The police are sparing the accused as he is a Trinamool worker. On the other hand, BJP workers are implicated in false cases. If he is not arrested, we will launch a movement,” said Swarup Choudhury, the BJP president of South Dinajpur district.
Trinamool leaders, on the other hand, were quick to distance themselves from the accused. “The victim’s family is our supporter, but we don’t know whether the accused is a Trinamool worker. The law will take its own course as our party does not intervene in such cases,” said Moloy Mondal, a district secretary of Trinamool.
Senior police officers acknowledged that they have received the complaint. “Our officers are probing the case and gathering information. Searches are on to nab the accused,” said an officer.