Mamata Banerjee promises stringent action against gang-rape culprits

Assuring of stringent action against the cuplrits involved in the gangrape of a woman here, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said police had been directed to arrest all those involved in the crime.

"I have directed the administration to immediately arrest the culprits and take stringent action against them. The culprits will not be spared," Banerjee told newspersons at Siliguri.

Banerjee has asked the administration to get the woman, who is in a critical condition, shifted to Belle Vue Clinic, a private super-speciality hospital here.

The woman, who was gangraped inside a lorry last night, was admitted to Howrah State General Hospital.

The chief minister said the treatment of the woman would be taken care of by the state government.

"Those who commit this type of crime, their only identity is criminal," she said.

State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim said the administration would ensure exemplary action against the culprits.

"As the chief minister has said, exemplary action will be taken against the accused persons to instill fear among such criminals," Hakim said here.

Claiming that law and order and security of women in the state were under control ever since Trinamool Congress came to power, Hakim said, "Some miscreants are still at large and steps are being taken to round them up."

Leader of the Opposition Suryakanta Mishra, however, accused the government of failure to maintain law and order and to provide security to women.

"Incidents of rape, gangrape and other crimes against women are taking place regularly in different parts of the state, exposing the government's failure in controlling law and order and giving security to women," he told reporters in front of the state Assembly here.