Crime, Power and Silence: Hoogly minor girl rape case puts politics under scrutiny

This incident happened on Thurshday evening when the girl and her friend were at the closed factory in Hoogly district.

An 16-year-old girl was reportedly raped on Thurshday evening inside a closed factory in West Bengal’s Hoogly district. Police have arrested two men. The case has caused anger in the local area. Some opposition leader say the main accused is a leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. But the TMC has denied this.

The name of main accused in this incident is Dipankar Adhikari. He told police that he was a local TMC leader and a civic voluteer. However, both the TMC and the police said that he is not a party member. Police say that the incident happened when the girl went into the factory with a friend. Adhikari and two others allegedly arrived, forced the friend to leave, and then raped the girl.

“A case has been filled under the protection of Children from Sexual Offences act. Two people were arrested and produced before the Serampore court. The medical checkup of the minor has been done, and the investigation is going on. We are also investigating whether any other accusedwere present there or not,” a senior police from Hoogly district said.

Local BJP leader Indranil Dutta says, “Everybody knows the main accused is a local TMC leader. He has been doing whatever he wanted for many days, and this has resulted in such an incident. It is intolerable.”

However, TMC leaders refused all the allegations by saying, “Our party is in power. Maybe some miscreants are trying to walk with us to get some benefits. But if they engage in crime, the police will take steps, and the law will take its own course. Our party will not tolerate such criminals.”

Meanwhile, the victim’s lawyer expressed confidence that the court would deliver justice. Adding to this, the local Trinamool youth leaders promised that neither the party nor the government would protect anyone who did wrong.