Gang rape fallout, SP removed

Yielding to mounting pressure, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today shunted out Birbhum Superintendent of Police for failing to seek police remand for 13 accused in the gang-rape of a tribal woman that has sparked public outrage.
The SP, C Sudhakar, was ordered to be removed by the chief minister within hours of the 13 persons being sent to 14-day judicial custody by Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Bolpur Pijush Ghosh.
Ghosh rejected their bail petitions for the gang-rape of the 20-year-old woman ordered by a kangaroo court in Labhpur, about 200 km from Kolkata, as punishment for falling in love with a man from a different religion.

Top administration sources said that explanation was sought from the senior police officer.
The sources said that case would be taken up afresh so that the police could seek police remand of the accused.
Banerjee, who also looks after Home portfolio, condemned the incident and directed that SP Darjeeling Kunal Agarwal would take over in Birbhum.

In Kolkata, West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan advocated corporal punishment for the culprits.
"We should have them (culprits) arrested and corporal punishment should be given to them," Narayanan told reporters when asked about his reaction to the incident.
The woman's family, in their complaint, said that she was gang-raped by 13 persons after a 'salishi sabha' or kangaroo court decided to punish her on January 21.

The victim said that among those who brutalised her were people old enough to be her father.
The victim and her paramour were caught, tied to a tree and assaulted after which they were asked to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. The gang-rape took place after the girl said that she was unable to pay.
"The morol (village headman) ordered that I be 'enjoyed' by the men of the village. Following his orders, at least 13 people, including (some) members of a single family, continuously raped me. I lost count of how many times I was raped," said the victim.

Sources in Suri hospital where she was admitted, said that she underwent some tests and was now stable.