Birbhum gang-rape: National Commission for Women to send team, calls Mamata Banerjee irresponsible

The National Commission for Women which Thursday took suo motu cognizance of a tribal woman's gang rape allegedly at the behest of a kangaroo court in West Bengal's Birbhum, will send a team to the state to probe the incident.

Chairperson Mamta Sharma, who held a meeting during the day, said the panel will also seek a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the gory incident. "Taking cognizance of the inhuman incident, we have decided to send a team to West Bengal next week, which will probe not only this incident but all such incidents of crime against women which have recently occurred in West Bengal," Sharma told IANS.

She also called Banerjee "irresponsible" for her failure to send action taken reports (ATR) sought by the NCW regarding several instances of gang rape in the state. "We will seek an ATR from the CM in this matter as well. But what to expect from her, she has been so irresponsible that she has not bothered to send a single report that has been sought by us," Sharma added.

The national panel earlier ordered a probe into the alleged gang rape and murder of a minor in Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas district.

The latest incident happened Monday night in Subalpur village in Birbhum, some 180 km from Kolkata. The 20-year-old tribal woman was allegedly raped by more than a dozen men on the orders of a kangaroo court which found her "guilty of having an affair with a man outside her community".

The state women's panel too has ordered a probe into the incident that has sent shock waves across and attracted severe condemnation from all quarters. Thirteen people, including the village headman who ordered the barbarism, have been arrested and sent to 14 days' judicial custody.