Bengal rape: Court slams CID for incomplete charge sheet

A West Bengal court Wednesday criticised the state CID for submitting an incomplete charge sheet in the gangrape and murder of a college student in Kamduni in North 24-Parganas district.

Fast-track court Judge Arpan Chatterjee questioned the state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on why a forensic report was not presented and names of some more accused were missing from the charge sheet.

The court directed the CID to file a complete charge sheet Thursday.

The six accused were presented in the court amid tight security as Kamduni villagers protested and sought death penalty for the attackers.

"The court was angry with the CID for failing to submit a forensic report as well as not mentioning names of three accused who have been named in the first information report," said counsel Jayanta Narayan Chattopadhyay.

"Rebuking the CID, the court directed the agency to come with a complete charge sheet Thursday when the court will next hear the case," added Chattopadhyay.

The CID's "incompetence" has come in for sharp criticism from political leaders and members of the civil society alike.

"This clearly indicates how incompetent this government and its administration is. Had the court not pointed out, the culprits of this heinous crime would have escaped punishment due to the incompetence of the CID," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Mohammad Salim.

The second year college student was abducted, raped and killed by a group of men June 7 when she was returning home after an examination in Barasat.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to Kamduni said that "hanging the culprits within a month is my government's target".

The CPI-M will stage a demonstration outside the CID's city headquarters Thursday.

"We will protest against the CID's incompetence and demand death penalty for the culprits," said party leader Rekha Goswami.