Girl kills self as kangaroo court terms her thief

kolkata — A young girl committed suicide after being humiliated and tagged as a thief by a local kangaroo court in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, her relatives alleged on Monday.

The district police confirmed the suicide but said they are yet to receive any complaint about the kangaroo court.

Pinki Khatoon, a Class 11 student from Bengupara village of Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district, committed suicide by hanging herself in a bamboo grove outside her house on Sunday morning.

Her family members alleged she was tagged as a cell phone thief by the kangaroo court conducted by the local panchayat leaders at her residence on Saturday.

“She was falsely accused of stealing a mobile phone from neighbouring Bholapara village. The members of the kangaroo court led by local Trinamool leader and panchayat deputy chief beat her up and threatened her of dire consequences if the phone was not given back,” Pinki’s uncle Moslen Haque told IANS over phone.

“She could not take the humiliation in front of so many people. We will lodge a police complaint against the tyranny of the kangaroo court,” he added.

The police said investigation would be done once a formal complaint is received.

“The girl appears to have committed suicide. An autopsy is being done. But we don’t know why she took the drastic step,” a senior officer at Rajganj police station said.

“We haven’t received any complaint about a kangaroo court being conducted at the girl’s house. Investigation would be done if a formal complaint is lodged by her family members,” he added. —