Mamata invites CBI to probe nun's gang-rape case
"The Ranaghat incident of March 14, 2015 is a very serious matter. The police administration was instructed to take swift action to nab the culprits. They are making their best efforts," she wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
"Considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the case and also the fact that the place of incidence is very close to border area, I have decided to entrust investigation of the case to CBI. Our government will provide all necessary co-operation and assistance to the CBI for investigation in this case," she said.
A gang of miscreants that broke into a convent of Gangnapur in Ranaghat under Nadia district, gang-raped the 72-year-old Mother Superior after robbing Rs. 12 lakh and valuables.
The incident evoked widespread indignation across the country and put Banerjee's government in a spot with religious heads of the Christian community openly criticising the administration.
The people continued to demand immediate arrest of the culprits who remained at large even though the CID issued a cash reward of Rs one lakh for any information on the eight suspects, four of whom had been captured in CCTV footage.
The Chief Minister, who visited Gangnapur on Monday, faced the ire of the people, who barred the way of her vehicle and detained her for more than an hour. As the mob jeered at her for the alleged police inaction, an angry Chief Minister accused the CPI(M) and BJP of conspiring to harass her.
This will be the the first instance CBI probing a case in West Bengal in Ms.Banerjee's 46-month-old rule.
Earlier in the day, the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the West Bengal Government seeking reports on the gang-rape of an elderly nun in Ranaghat.
'The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a 71-year-old nun was raped by a gang of seven dacoits inside a Convent in Gangnapur village of Nadia district in West Bengal on the 14th March, 2015,' NHRC said
in a statement.
'The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, amount to serious violation of human rights of the victim. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director Genral of Police, calling for reports in the matter within two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Vatican conclave's youngest cardinal and India's top bishop met the septuagenarian nun who was raped.
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