Beatings for taunt protest - Girl being harassed for months speaks out and is thrashed by accused

TT, Raiganj, Nov. 30: A Class XI girl in Raiganj was thrashed by a group of youths while she was returning home from tuitions yesterday evening after she protested their regular taunts and lewd gestures when she passed through a certain locality.

Residents of the area where she was attacked rushed out to her aid and the miscreants fled.

The girl filed a complaint at Raiganj police station last night. No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.

In an account to this paper, the girl spoke of two months of abuse in public.

"The area where we live has a lot of open space. For the past two or three months, a group of youths had made it a habit to gather near the edge of a field after sunset. They taunted women and young girls like me who crossed the area. I was regularly teased."

She said: "Till yesterday, I tried and ignored them. For the past few days, one of the youths, Rahul Dutta, began following me on his motorbike as I walked to school that is less than a kilometre from my home. He mouthed obscenities. At first, I was scared to tell my parents about this. Yesterday, a classmate and I were returning home after private tuitions. It was around 7pm."

She said the youth "blocked our way and began uttering obscene words targeting me. As soon as I spoke out, he caught me by the hair and slapped me hard. I fell on the road and he began punching and kicking me. When my friend tried to save me, another youth attacked her as well and she had to run away."

The schoolgirl said a man on a bicycle, who was passing by stopped and shouted at the boys. "The youths told him to leave or he would get killed. This person informed other residents and when they came out, the youths fled," she said. "But before they left they threatened to attack me on my way to school," the girl added.

"Local people took me home. My ears and head have swollen and it is painful. I am finding it difficult to walk. I filed a written complaint with police last night. Some members of the gang were seen today on their motorbikes. I am so scared that I have not stepped out of my home today," the girl said.

Gautam Chakrabarty, the inspector in charge of Raiganj police station, said the complaint filed by the girl was under investigation. "We are looking for the accused," he said.