3 days after charred body of woman found in Tripura, minister

The Tripura government on Monday promised all help to the parents of a woman, whose charred body was found in a paddy field three days ago.

State Education Minister and cabinet spokesperson Ratan Lal Nath, who visited the parents at their residence in Rangacherra village of the district on Sunday, also said justice would be meted out in the case at the earliest.

"We would take all measures to ensure that the culprit does not go unpunished. We want exemplary punishment for the perpetrator...." the BJP MLA told reporters on Monday.

The charred body of a 23-year-old woman was found at a paddy field in West Tripura district on Friday, with the victim's father alleging that a neighbour, a driver by profession, raped and burnt his daughter to death.

Based on a complaint filed by the family, the accused was arrested and presented before a local court, which remanded him in police custody on Sunday.

Meanwhile, opposition CPI(M) on Monday sought a judicial inquiry into the incident, claiming that attempts were being made to hush up the matter.

"This is a ghastly killing, but there is this strange attempt to suppress the crime. Investigation is going on at a snail's space.... We are not happy with the progress of the investigation. We demand a judicial inquiry into the incident," Gautam Das, the state secretary of the CPI(M),said.

Echoing him, senior Congress leader and former leader of the opposition, Gopal Das, said investigation should be carried out under the supervision of a high court judge.

Das also insisted that Rs 20-lakh compensation should be given to the next of the kin of the deceased and a job to one of her family members.

"This crime is no less heinous than that of the Hyderabad incident, where a veterinarian doctor was raped and murdered by four men," he said.