A bike ride for Mamata Banerjee to meet family of student raped and killed

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today visited the home of the 20-year-old girl who was raped and brutally murdered earlier this month at Kamduni village, about 25 km from Kolkata.

Ms Banerjee travelled for 2.5 kilometres on a motorcycle riding pillion. She briefly met the girl's family and promised that a chargesheet would be filed in a week's time and the state would demand death sentence for the culprits.

While leaving the village, the Chief Minister faced angry slogans by villagers, especially women, demanding justice. Ms Banerjee later said, "We have decided to plan for a new police station in the area."

The college student, the daughter of a mason, was on her way home from college after an exam on June 7 when she was apparently dragged into a walled compound by a group of men, raped and then killed. Six people have been arrested.

Her gang-rape and murder triggered angry protests by the residents who attacked police vehicles.

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Residents in her neighbourhood say they had complained about deteriorating law and order problems in the area, but the police ignored them. The MP from the area, Haji Nurul Islam who belongs to the Trinamool, was heckled when he tried to visit the family on Saturday. His vehicle was also smashed.

The attack and death of the college student follow the rape of an Irish tourist earlier this month in Kolkata. The 21-year-old was admitted to hospital after an overdose of prescription drugs.

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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in its recent report, said that Bengal recorded the highest number of crimes against women for the second year in a row in 2012. The state government, however, contested the data, claiming its disclaimers were not published.