A 12-hour bandh, called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest against the gangrape and murder of a 14- year-old girl, was observed peacefully across the Hanshkhali block under Ranaghat sub-division of Nadia, yesterday.

Since morning, the entire region looked deserted as the people preferred to remain indoors, while shops and markets remained close to protest the heinous crime on a minor girl of the locality. The most shocking incident happened at Shyamnagar of Gajna panchayat area under Hanskhali police station limits in Nadia on Monday. But, the incident came to light on 10 April when Child Line staff assured the family members following which they lodged a complaint with the police.

Rupankar Sengupta, additional SP of Ranaghat, said, “The police have arrested the prime accused Brojo Gayali alias Sohali under section 376 (3)/302/201/34 IPC and 6 Pocso Act. He was produced before the Ranaghat ACJM court today, where the magistrate on hearing pleas remanded him in police custody for 14 days.” Mr Sengupta also said that judicial recording of statements of five witnesses, including the complainant, under Section 164 CrPC have also been done today.

Meanwhile, a team of BJP’s women morcha, headed by Dr Archana Majumdar, who arrived at Shyamnagar to talk with the victim’s family members, was denied to meet the parents and other family relatives of the victim. She alleged that a minor was raped and murdered. Her body was burnt in the panchayat-funded crematorium without burning and death certificates. While, the police didn’t register a suo-motto murder case even. This gruesome incident happened only because the accused was the son of the Trinamul Congress panchayat member.

Meanwhile, a PIL demanding CBI enquiry in Hanshkhali rape and murder case of a minor has been filed in Calcutta High Court by advocate Anindya Sundar Das.

CPM condemns Hanskhali rape of minor: With CM Mamata Banerjee terming the alleged Hanskhali gangrape of a minor a “small incident”, the CPM said the chief minister, being a woman, ought to feel ashamed of making such a statement while alleged that Bengal is being turned into Hathras by TMC-sponsored anti-socials that are out to distort the social fabric of the society.

The CPM state secretary Md Salim said the incident has cast a shadow of the Hathras rape on Bengal. He said it is shocking how a minor girl, a student of the ninth standard, was gang-raped and then cremated without any record. “It is shocking how the girl wasn’t even taken to the doctor, or to the hospital for an autopsy despite the Supreme Court rules by which such a procedure is mandatory. The incident happened on 5 April and no one got to know about it, not even the neighbours, police or doctors. Is it because the matter was being suppressed since the main accused is the son of a TMC leader?”