Mamata assures death penalty for Barasat rapists

Asserting that those who gang-raped and murdered a 20-year-old college student in North 24 Parganas district will be punished within a month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said the administration will push for death penalty for the culprits.

"The charge sheet will be submitted before the court within 15 days and the trial will be fast-tracked to ensure the perpetrators are punished within a month. The administration is working to ensure the culprits are given the death penalty," said Banerjee.

The chief minister visited the family of the victim in Kamduni in the district, 10 days after the second year college student was abducted, raped and killed by a group of youths June 7 when she was returning home after appearing in an examination in Barasat in the district.

The incident had created a furore with political parties, rights organisations and women bodies sharply criticising the Banerjee administration for its failure to curb rise of crimes against women in the state.