Baruipur Rape Murder Saayoni Ghosh Protest Tmc Suvendu Mamata Banerjee

Trinamool Congress MP Saayoni Ghosh and MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, rebels challenging Mamata Banerjee’s leadership of the Trinamool Congress, faced ‘go back’ and ‘chor’ slogans at Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas, where they went to meet the family of an 11-year-old rape-murder victim.

Baruipur is part of the Jadavpur parliamentary constituency, which Saayoni Ghosh represents in Lok Sabha. The town is on edge after the body of the 11-year-old was found in a sack dumped in a pond. Police have registered a case under the sections of gangrape and also invoked the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The preliminary autopsy confirmed sexual assault and also revealed that the child was alive when she was thrown into the pond. What has added to the unrest in the area is the lynching of a man known to be close to one of the accused.

While speaking to the victim’s mother, Saayoni Ghosh said, “I have no words, only that we are with you. The Chief Minister will ensure that no mother will lose their child as you did. This is not the time to think whether we are ISF, BJP, NCPI or TMC. We must all stand together against such a horrific crime. I am going to meet the Chief Minister. Strictest punishment will be given to the culprits.”

“Whenever you call me, I will be there for you. I have shared my number with you and others here,” she added.

The Baruipur rape-murder, coming less than two months after the BJP took over the reins in Bengal, is a major test for Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari’s former boss and Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee has targeted the state government after she was stopped from visiting Baruipur.

The political reactions to the horrific crime are also playing out against the backdrop of the meltdown in the Trinamool Congress. The Mamata Banerjee-led party, which ruled Bengal for 15 years, has unravelled within weeks of its crushing defeat in the May election.

Twenty out of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, which was barely known two months back. At the Assembly level, about 60 of Trinamool’s 80 MLAs have rebelled against Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. The MLAs are yet to join another party.

Leaders from both factions of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have reached Baruipur to meet the girl’s family. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who leads Trinamool’s rebel faction in Parliament, was among them. Siuli Saha, a rebel MLA and Chandrima Bhattacharya, Mamata Banerjee’s aide who recently quit her camp, also met the family. Chief Minister Adhikari is in Baruipur to meet the family.

“We want capital punishment for the culprits. The Chief Minister has said it, and we want it implemented. The previous government passed the Aparajita Bill. It should be immediately made an Act,” said Dastidar.

The Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, is a stringent anti-rape legislation unanimously passed by the Bengal Assembly. The Bill provides for the death penalty if a sexual assault results in the victim’s death or leaves them in a vegetative state. It enhances the minimum punishment for rape to life imprisonment for the remainder of the convict’s natural life, or the death penalty.

State urban development minister Agnimitra Paul and BJP leader Locket Chatterjee also visited the victim’s family.

While Mamata Banerjee was prevented from travelling to Baruipur, leaders from her camp – Biman Banerjee, Dola Sen and Pratima Mondal – visited the girl’s family on Monday.

Bengal’s Director General of Police, Siddh Nath Gupta, also visited the girl’s family. “Investigation is on, and arrests have been made. If it is found that there were lapses on the part of the police initially, an inquiry will be done and action taken,” Gupta told the media.

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More