Guwahati, April 11: The Barnali Deb rape and murder case today took a new turn with a leading Assam NGO questioning the role of the state Women’s Commission in dealing with the compensation issue.

The commission came under the scanner following an “objectionable remark” it allegedly made to Barnali’s mother yesterday while “coercing” her to accept Rs 2 lakh as compensation from the management of Network Travels.

Eight-year-old Barnali was gangraped and murdered in the premises of the Network Travel Agency in the heart of the city on July 13 last year.

The Nirjatan Birodhi Aikya Manch (joint front against atrocities), an NGO spearheading the agitation to realise the compensation, said that though the commission had earlier asked the travel agency to pay Rs 10 lakh, it had yesterday informed Barnali’s mother that Rs 2 lakh was “enough for her stature”.

The commission had also reportedly added that it would try to give her two sewing machines.

General secretary of the manch Sumitra Hazarika told newsmen today that the commission had, however, told member-secretary of the Tripura Women’s Commission Meen-akshi Sen Bandopadhay that the Rs 2 lakh was only interim relief and it would ensure that the rest of the amount was realised within three months.

She said the commission should have acquired a written assurance from the management of the travel agency about paying rest of the amount within three months.

The women’s commission in both Tripura and Assam as well as the NGO had first demanded a compensation of Rs 15 lakh.

However, the Tripura commission agreed to scale down its demand to Rs 10 lakh to “show respect to the stand of its sister commission from Assam”.

Network Travels yesterday handed over a cheque of Rs 2 lakh to the Assam Women’s Commission to give to Barnali’s parents in Agartala.

The Tripura commission agreed to accept the cheque on behalf of Barnali’s parents on the condition that the remaining Rs 8 lakh be paid within three months as an out-of-court settlement to the issue.

Member-secretary of the Tripura Women’s Commission, Meenakshi Sen Bandopadhay, today said if the agency failed to pay the rest of the amount within the stipulated period the commission would have to move court.

Teenager raped

Agartala, April 11: A fourteen-year-old tribal girl was gangraped by three men in Ratanpur village under Belonia subdivision in South Tripura yesterday, reports our correspondent.

The victim was alone at home when the three men, Sanjib Uchoi, Sukanta Baidya and Pran Kumar Dutta, sneaked into her house and dragged her to a nearby bush before raping her.

The victim’s father, a tribal farmer, filed a complaint at the Belonia police station yesterday. The police arrested the three men this morning.