Kolkata gang rape: NCW visits crime scene; SIT formed

Police on Saturday detained WB BJP President Sukanta Majumdar during a protest. Pic/ANI

National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar on Sunday visited the South Kolkata Law College, where a student was allegedly gang-raped by three persons, including an alumnus. She claimed that the police could not provide her with the details of the whereabouts of survivor. "The commission stands beside her," she said, maintaining that the NCW's mandate is to assist a survivor as long as she wants.

Majumdar stated that it is necessary to speak to her parents as well. "It's a part of the investigation (by the NCW)," she said. She later entered the campus and visited the guard room, where the alleged incident took place on June 25. "I will report that I could not complete my job," Majumdar said.

Following the survivor's complaint, the police have arrested the prime accused, an alumnus, along with two students. A guard of the college was also apprehended on Saturday morning, according to the police. A five-member special investigation team (SIT), led by an assistant commissioner rank officer, has been formed to probe the case.

State BJP chief detained

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday morning walked out of the Kolkata Police headquarters after being detained, along with other BJP leaders, overnight following a protest against the gang rape. Stating that he had refused bail on personal bond, Sukanta, also the BJP state unit chief, said that the police released them in the morning without pressing any charge.

"West Bengal has become a killing field of democracy," he told reporters. The BJP leader said that despite the state having a woman chief minister, incidents of crime against women were taking place with impunity. The police had on Saturday stopped a BJP rally led by Sukanta and detained him along with several other party leaders when they tried to take out the protest march to South Kolkata Law College.

Zero tolerance

TMC MP Mahua Moitra said on Saturday that the probe in the rape incident of a female student is going on war footing and stressed that TMC-led West Bengal government has "zero tolerance" for crime against women.

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