Bengal ragging death: CPI-M demands probe

The CPI-M Sunday demanded a probe into the death of a minor student after she was ragged, and urged the West Bengal government to take steps against those responsible for vandalising a school after the girl's death.

Oindrila Das, a Class 5 student died Wednesday, a week after she was allegedly locked up inside the school toilet by some seniors who demanded money from her.

A day later, hundreds of people, mostly parents, ransacked the 131-year-old Christ Church School in Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas district, put the principal and other teachers inside a dark room and eventually forced principal Helen Sarkar to resign.

"The attack on the educational institution is unwarranted. We urge the government to take immediate steps and arrest those responsible for the vandalism," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said.

With the help of video footage, the guilty should be identified and apprehended, said Mishra.

Mishra, leader of opposition in the state assembly, visited the dead girl's family.

He demanded a thorough probe into the circumstances that led to the girl's death.

He endorsed the family's allegation of medical negligence against a private nursing home which had last treated Oindrila before her death.

"After talking to the family, I feel there are reasons to believe that there may be medical negligence on the part of the nursing home," Mishra said.

Meanwhile, nine more people, including two women, were arrested since Saturday night, taking the total number of arrests in the vandalism case to 12.

While a court remanded three people arrested earlier to three days' police custody, the nine fresh arrestees have also been presented before a court.

The Congress too has condemned the vandalism and demanded arrest of those guilty.

The principal is facing prosecution under a number of non-bailable charges.