KOLKATA: A Class IX student in Cooch Behar, who was allegedly abducted while returning from school and gang-raped a week ago, died on Wednesday in a state-run hospital in the north Bengal district. Police arrested five suspects in connection with the gruesome incident.
The death of the teenager triggered a tug-of-war between the BJP and TMC as both parties wanted to stand beside the family of the victim.
The deceased went into a coma and was shifted to the state government’s hospital from a private healthcare unit where her family found her. A medical examination of the victim revealed she went into a coma because of inadequate supply of oxygen to her brain during the sexual assault.
According to a complaint lodged with the police by the family members of the victim, it was learnt that she did not return home from school on July 18.
“They searched the area and contacted their relatives to know the whereabouts of the girl but all their efforts were in vain. It was on July 21 when the family members came to know that the girl was admitted to a nursing home in Cooch Behar-II block in an unconscious state. They rushed there and shifted the girl to MJN Medical College and Hospital in the district headquarters,” said a police officer quoting the family’s complaint.
The local leaders of the Trinamool Congress intervened and admitted the unconscious girl to another private healthcare unit but as her condition deteriorated, she was again shifted to the medical college and hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
“The girl was pronounced dead by the doctors of the hospital on Tuesday morning,” said the police officer.
As the news of the girl’s death spread, local BJP leaders visited her family members and promised to stand by them.
“We have no faith in the police administration. We want to help the girl’s family, but the local leaders of the TMC took the victim's father away from the hospital premises and we are not being allowed to meet him,” said a BJP leader in Cooch Behar.
The police arrested five youths, including key suspect Bappa Burman, residing in the same area where the girl’s house is located. “The four other suspects are Bappa’s associates,” said another police officer.
Another incident of sexual assault on a minor was reported in Chanchal in Malda district.
“The girl received a call on her cellphone and was asked to come out of her home by one of her friends on Tuesday evening. Her family members alleged, the person, who called her, assaulted her sexually. We started searching for the suspect who is on the run,” said a police officer in Malda.