WB rape cases: Calcutta HC seeks case diaries of recent rape cases from state govt

Kolkata, Apr 20: The Calcutta HC has called for case diaries and state report regarding the recent developments in the investigation. The HC order comes in line with the recent PIL filed for a CBI probe in five recent rape cases.

  

 

 

 

A PIL (Public Interest Litigation)petition has been filed in the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Division Bench seeking a CBI probe in five recent rape cases in West Bengal. The Calcutta HC called for case diary and status report. The HC also extended police protection to the rape victims and witnesses. The direction was issued by the Court while adjudicating upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by women advocates of the High Court seeking a probe by the CBI or any other independent agency into the rape cases.

 

 

 

 

According to Live Law, incidents of rape have been reported to have taken place at Netra and Namkhana villages in south 24 Parganas district, at Pingla in West Midnapore district, at a village near Santiniketan in Birbhum district and at Mainaguri of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal in the last few weeks. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakasha Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj on Tuesday noted that most of the rape cases involved minors.

 

 

The rape cases have a political background as well, since the petitioner is mentioned that, "In some places when the family have returned home after the post-poll violence, girls are being dragged from their homes and attempts of rape and sexual assault are being made on them." The next hearing into the case is on Apr 26.