Kolkata – The West Bengal police on Thursday (19 March) registered a case against the protesters who blocked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s convoy on Monday when she went to Ranaghat to visit the nun who was allegedly raped in a local hospital.
Those booked include students and teachers of the Convent school and some locals who had blocked the CM’s convoy demanding arrest of the culprits.
One Karthik commenting on the incident in Facebook says, “Shameless Mamata for booking protesters. She has been doing the same all her life even after becoming CM.”
The Ranghat police station slapped at least five sections of the IPC including forceful detention and resisting government functionaries from discharging their duty.
According to sources, the decision was taken after the CM held a high-level meeting with top Bengal police and CID officials at the state police headquarter late Thursday evening. Meanwhile, there are reports of the CBI sending a letter to the state government agreeing to probe the nun rape case.
This is not the first time that the chief minister faced wrath of the public. On June 17, 2013 several villagers of Kamduni (North 24 Pargas district) raised their voice against the chief minister.
The protesters also expressed anger on chief minister’s statement that two persons have already been arrested. Police has only detained 10 people till now.
The nun at the Convent of Jesus and Mary High School in Ranaghat – some 80 km from Kolkata – was gang raped by the robbers in the early hours of Saturday.
Banerjee, who had gone to Ranaghat in Nadia district today to meet the victim at the hospital and also the officials of the Church and the school, where the incident took place on Saturday, faced angry protestors, comprising students and local people, who surrounded her convoy.
The protestors squatted on the National highway 34 demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
As the prostestors refused to let Banerjee’s convoy pass through the NH 34, an angry Banerjee who sat in the car came out and said, “The unfortunate incident is being given a political colour. This is a conspiracy and a handiwork of the CPI-M and BJP combine to stop the administration from arresting the real culprits.
Senior police officials, including DGP G M P Reddy, and district police officials were caught completely off guard as hundreds of students and locals gheraoed the convoy accusing the police of inaction and demanding immediate arrest.
The students carried placards which said, “We want justice” and “hang the rapists”. They kept on shouting as police officials and senior officials of administration were busy pacifying the angry prostestors.
Officials were seen pleading before the protestors with folded hands, however, the protestors denied to lend a ear to the pleas.
Only after nearly an hour, was the convoy allowed to leave.
All the while Miss Banerjee was seen sitting in the front seat of her car and talking to party and government officials since her convoy of cars was blocked at 7.05 pm.