Mamata gives love affair twist to Hanskhali incident
The controversy over the rape of a girl, who died later, at Hanskhali in Nadia, West Bengal, last week took a more debatable turn on Monday afternoon after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a love-angle twist to the incident.
Speaking at the inauguration of the revamped Milan Mela, a permanent fair ground opposite the Science City at the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata in the afternoon, the CM referred to the girl’s rape in connection with which Brajagopal Goyal, son of a local panchayat member, Samar Goyal, was arrested on Sunday.
However, legal experts have ruled out the logic of a love affair and consensual sex in
the case since the victim was a minor. Senior criminal lawyer of the Calcutta High Court, Kaushik Gupta, told the media under the POCSO Act, 2012, even consensual sex is considered rape if it involves a minor. “A girl below the age of 18 is minor and law does not identify the right of a minor to give consent for sex. Consensual sex with a
minor, as per the law is considered as aggravative penetration for sexual assault.”
On Saturday, the parents of the victim filed a complaint at Hanskhali police station. The victim’s parents alleged the accused invited the victim to his house on April 4 to celebrate his birthday. There, as per allegations, the girl was fooled into consuming
alcohol and then raped. Later, the victim was dropped at her house by a woman alleged to be a close associate of the accused. On the night of April 4, the girl started having severe pain in the lower abdomen and died late at night. The victim’s family was aided by the Child Line and was able to file the FIR at Hanskhali police station on Saturday. On Sunday, the accused was arrested.
Rape victim dies at Gorakhpur hospital
A woman, who was allegedly raped and thrashed by a youth, died in a Gorakhpur hospital on Monday. Police were informed the woman was found seriously injured ner her house and her family admitted her to a hospital from where she was referred to Gorakhpur for treatment.