HC takes cognisance of rape victim's suicide

The Calcutta High Court today took suo motu cognisance of the suicide by a rape victim in Malda district after she was humiliated by a kangaroo court, which allegedly questioned her character.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi took suo motu cognisance of the matter and sought a report from the district administration.
The court took the decision after counsels Bikash Bhattacharya and Uday Shankar Chatterjee moved the division bench and brought the matter to its notice by producing newspaper clippings.
The 30-year old woman, a mother of three children, was allegedly raped on the night of April one by 21-year old Nabin Mondal, who barged into her home in the absence of her husband.

When the husband protested the next morning, a kangaroo court at Basanatola village under Manikchak police station called the woman and the accused and asked him to apologise to her by touching her feet.
Furious at the attempt to trivialise a grave offence, the couple refused to accept the apology, following which the members of the kangaroo court allegedly called her names and questioned her character.
Unable to bear the humiliation, the woman set herself on fire on Wednesday morning and died at a hospital the same day.
The mother and the uncle of Nabin have been detained by police.