By India Today News Desk: Bengal’s child rights body on Sunday slammed its central counterpart after representatives of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) visited the family of a minor tribal girl, who was allegedly raped and killed in West Bengal.
The body of the teenage girl was found floating in a canal in North Dinajpur district’s Kaliaganj on Friday. On Saturday, violence broke out after locals protested demanding the arrest of all culprits.
NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo visited the family members of the girl and the villagers on Sunday. He was allowed to visit the girl’s family along with three other representatives of the NCPCR. He was accompanied by police.
“We met with the victim’s family members and the villagers. We have considered all their statements and noted them. We will verify all the facts with the police and the doctor,” NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo said.
‘POLITICS WITH DEAD BODY’
Soon after the post-mortem report showed poisoning as the cause of death, the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) accused its central counterpart of doing politics “with the dead bodies of children” and “blatantly” violating laws to malign the state. The preliminary post-mortem report revealed there was no injury to the body, Uttar Dinajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar told PTI.
“Doing politics with the dead bodies of children in West Bengal by the keepers of child rights! Shameful NCPCR!” the WBCPCR said in a tweet.
“Ignoring the presence of the state commission for Protection of child rights, the ncpcr blatantly violates the cpcr act and enters WB illegally with the sole purpose of maligning the state. Shameful (sic)” it tweeted.
WBCPCR chairperson Ananya Chakraborty alleged that the NCPCR team’s visit was “absolutely not needed”.
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“The NCPCR blatantly violated the CPCR Act and entered West Bengal illegally with the sole purpose of maligning the state. They took along with them a large contingent of journalists to the deceased’s house in complete violation of the prohibitory orders. This is shameful. They should have informed us about their visit and taken our feedback in the case,” Chakraborty told PTI.
SECTION 144 IMPOSED
Hours before the central panel’s visit to Kaliaganj, police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district on Sunday. Prohibitory orders were clamped after clashes broke out between police and locals over the death of a 17-year-old girl, PTI reported.
Police have arrested six people in connection their involvement in clashes with police and vandalism following the recovery of the minor’s body from a canal on Friday.
A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother.
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(With PTI inputs)
