Cooch Behar: Rape victim dies at hospital after fighting for life for seven days

Shashikesh Roy | MP | 26 July 2023 : The minor victim of the sexual assault case breathed her last at the MJN Medical College and Hospital, Cooch Behar on Wednesday morning. However, there was an uproar at the hospital premises over the victim’s dead body. 

Both Trinamool and BJP debated over which political party the victim’s family owed allegiance to. 

Later the police came and brought the situation under control. Trinamool and BJP have accused each other of the whole incident. With news of the death of the rape victim, the leaders of various political parties and members of various social organizations converged at the MJN Medical College and Hospital. 

While BJP leader Rahul Sinha was there leading the BJP supporters; Cooch Behar District Trinamool President Abhijit De Bhowmik arrived with the TMC supporters. Later, when her body was taken out for post-mortem, tension spread between Trinamool and BJP supporters. Go-back slogans were given around Rahul Sinha from the TMC side. BJP protested in return. 

After the victim’s body was brought out a clash ensued between the TMC and BJP. Cooch Behar district TMC President Abhijit De Bhowmik said: “We don’t want to do politics. 

However, BJP’s Rahul Sinha has been visiting the hospital for the past two days regularly to cover up the fact that the arrested were involved in campaigning for the BJP and CPI(M) in the last Panchayat elections. They are from these two political outfits.” 

Arpita Narayan, president of Cooch Behar Zilla Mahila Morcha of BJP, alleged that the victim’s father is a supporter of the BJP. “TMC wants to cover up the incident. They beat up the father and so he came to us seeking refuge,” she added. 

On the other hand, local villagers joined the protest in the area on Wednesday. Villagers including family members protested in front of the house of the main accused. Central forces were deployed along with a large police contingent to control the situation. After the post-mortem, the body was taken to the victim’s home amidst tight security where the last rites were performed. 

Cooch Behar civil society joined the protest in the Cooch Behar court premises. Shri Hari Dutta, on behalf of civil society, said that all the people should come forward and protest against the events that are happening in the country as well as in our state. 

The way different political parties are playing with such incidents for their own interest is not acceptable. 

On July 18, a 14-year-old girl went to school in Cooch Behar. However, she did not return home from school. The family received news that she had been admitted to a nursing home in Cooch Behar with serious injuries. 

She had been allegedly raped. Based on complaints lodged, a 23-year-old youth named Bappa Barman, the prime accused, was arrested. After further interrogation, the police arrested four others involved, namely Satya Sarkar (22), Minal Sarkar (23), Suman Sarkar (23), and Sushant Das. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cooch-behar-rape-victim-dies-at-hospital-527061