KOLKATA: A 17-year-old girl ended her life after a Shalishi Sabha,the Bengal’s khap panchayat accused her of stealing a cellphone in Jalpaiguri district on Monday. The members of the kangaroo court physically abused the minor and threatened her of “dire consequences” after calling her a ‘cellphone thief’.
Unable to bear the insult in front of the village elders, the victim identified as Pinki Khatun a Class XI student of Dangapara Madrasa hung herself to death in a bamboo grove near her house in Bengupara village of Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district on Monday. The victim’s body has been sent to Jalpaiguri for postmortem, a report of which is awaited.
She was declared as a cellphone thief stolen 10 days ago from Bholapara village, by a Shalishi Sabha allegedly led by local Trinamool Gram Panchayat vice-president Israel Hussain in Bengupara village on Sunday evening. Later the minor was allegedly thrashed, verbally abused and threatened with dire consequences.
Pinki’s father Ainul Haq stated that he was not present in the house during the Shalishi Sabha.
No formal complaint has been filed at Rajganj police station. Speaking with Express, a senior police official said, "Prima facie, it appears as suicide but the same can be confirmed after autopsy report. We have not received any complaint of Shalishi Sabha and can act only after a complaint has been lodged by
the victim's family. "
Local sources revealed that the deceased's family is scared to lodge a complaint against the Shalishi Sabha reportedly due to presence of local Trinamool leader in it.