National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday lashed out at the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and said that she is incompetent in tackling child safety.
Read here: Violence erupts in Bengal’s North Dinajpur over minor’s rape, murder
Kanoongo along with three other representatives of the NCPCR, visited Uttar Dinajpur’s Kaliaganj in West Bengal, where a 17-year-old dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Kanoongo said, “Behavior of the state government has been same for years, they themselves commit mistakes and then try to hide them and because of this they always interrupt the commission’s work.”
“The chief minister always tries to save the incompetent officers here. I consider Mamata Banerjee incompetent when it comes to children’s safety in the state. Due to her negligence incidents happen and children die. And later on, on the basis of the CM’s order, these incidents are covered up”, he further added.
He also alleged that the police were yet to speak to the victim’s family and Chief Secretary of the state and the North Dinajpur Collector are not responding despite the organisation informed them about the incident.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj on Sunday after clashes broke out between the locals and police over the incident in the district on Saturday.
The police have arrested six people so far in connection with their involvement in violence with police and vandalism.
Read here: Bengal cop attacked me, alleges national child rights panel chief
A 17-year-old girl’s body was found in a canal in North Dinajpur district’s Kaliaganj on Friday. A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of the 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. Two people have been arrested based on the complaint.
(With inputs from agencies)
