AMN / WEB DESK
The teen, who was found dead near a canal in Bengal’s Kaliganj last week, allegedly died over a love affair, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, as she cited “WhatsApp messages” to support her claim.
“It’s an unfortunate incident. I have seen some WhatsApp messages also. I saw it was a love affair. The police are investigating it,” Banerjee said. “Doctors said she had taken poison. It’s a suicide case. The police are investigating.”
The chief minister promised that the case would be probed and so would be the violence and arson that happened on Tuesday. “We will stand by the victim’s family. But the way hooliganism happened yesterday and the way the police were attacked and property was damaged, I will ask the police to investigate these incidents as well and take action,” she said.
“Even when the body was taken, stones were thrown. I do not support the way the body was taken. But what else could they do?” she asked.
The girl’s body was found in a canal last week. However, the preliminary post-mortem examination report indicated that she had not been raped.
Earlier a police station in was set on fire by people protesting against the death of a teenager whose body was found in a canal last week.
The violence took place in Kaliyaganj of Uttar Dinajpur district. People allegedly belonging to the Adivasi and Rajbangshi communities organised a “Thana gherao” programme on Tuesday afternoon protesting against alleged “police inaction” in the case.
The police personnel started a baton charge but could not stop the mob from entering the police station and setting it on fire, the agency said.
Earlier in the day, protesters gheraoed the Superintendent of Police’s office at the Uttar Dinajpur district headquarters, Raiganj. The protest in Raiganj was BJP-organised. Police had to fire tear gas shells and lathi charge to restore law and order in the town as they faced stone-pelting.