Protests in Kolkata over the death of 16-year-old girl who was gang-raped twice
The West Bengal capital and several districts were rocked by protests by women's groups on Friday, three days after the death of a girl who was gang-raped twice and set ablaze. An international rights group decried the role of police in the incident.
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative condemned the incident and raised questions over police's role.
"Police appeared to have done nothing to protect the young woman and her family after her initial complaint of being victim to heinous kind of gang rape," said a media statement from the international rights group.
"Police appeared to have heartlessly pressurised the family to dispose of her body for its mishandling in order it would appear to save themselves from dealing with public anger and protest," the group said.
Four women's wings of Left parties brought out a rally in Kolkata denouncing the police for "trying to hush up the incident at the best of the state government".
Some women's organisations held a rally in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district, where the girl was raped twice in October.
"This is no isolated incident. This is a commentary of the state of women's security in the state," said All India Democratic Women's Association state secretary Minoti Biswas, as protesters held out posters and banners sympathising with the girl's family.
The rallyists marched to the Madhyamgram police station, and met the officer-in-charge wanting to know how such a crime could happen.
Women's activist Anuradha Talwar said neither the girl nor her family were given protection, while no action has been taken against the callous police personnel.
"From Nandigram during the previous Left Front government to Madhyamgram, incidents of attack on women have continued and there has been no change in the state," she said.