Kolkata: In the midst of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to North Bengal, Siliguri is in turmoil following the unnatural death of a minor girl.
Local MLA and BJP candidate, Shankar Ghosh, staged a sit-in to demand justice.
Meanwhile, Siliguri Mayor and Trinamool candidate Gautam Deb visited the deceased girl’s family on Tuesday and instructed the Siliguri Police Commissioner to take immediate action.
According to the police, the private tutor of the minor girl, a resident of Ward No. 1 in Siliguri, had been repeatedly making romantic overtures toward her.
The tutor is a married man and a father of two children. The girl’s family alleged that the tutor subjected her to severe mental harassment because she refused to accept his proposals.
Unable to bear the pressure, the girl committed suicide by hanging herself at her home.
The area erupted in unrest on Tuesday morning as news of the incident spread. Initially, the accused’s residence was vandalised.
Subsequently, locals set up a road blockade at Siliguri Junction.
BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh sat on a dharna, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) marched to the Siliguri SDO office, leading to yet another road blockade.
The police struggled to bring the situation under control, as protesters even hurled bangles at them to mark their protest. The situation escalated to the point that the administration was forced to deploy central forces.
Meanwhile, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb visited the minor girl’s home. From there, he telephoned the Siliguri Police Commissioner and instructed him to ensure the swift arrest of the accused.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is currently on a tour of north Bengal to campaign for the Assembly elections.
Shankar Ghosh targeted the deteriorating law-and-order situation in West Bengal.
He stated: “The police remain inactive in various matters in this very manner. It is due to their inaction that the accused remains at large today. There are also glaring lapses in the investigation. We will not tolerate any of this. It is for this very reason that I have suspended all political campaigning and staged a sit-in demanding the arrest of the accused. I am not budging from this spot.”
Gautam Deb said, “I am the Mayor of this city. I have made it clear to the police that there is no room for politics here. I will not offer any comments regarding who is staging a sit-in or where. However, I have spoken with the police. I demand severe punishment for the culprit.”
(IANS)
