Madhyamik examinee molested in Bardhaman

Muslim youths identified as culprits, arrested :

Crimes against women are rising fast in Bengal and while the civilian society here is up in arms against the administration, both the state government and police are found either to pass over the issue or remain busy to justify their activity and pin the blame on the political parties in opposition. Myriad instances are there to prove how the first woman chief minister of the state, instead of accepting government’s fault to curb this burgeoning and endeavoring to rectify, has tried to paint this worst saga in the color of a political conspiracy.  Now adding to the woes of government, a Madhyamik (centralized secondary examination held under the aegis of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education every year) examinee, while she was going to her examination center along with her mother, was molested midway by a few youths. They tried to kidnap her also. The grisly incident took place at Subhaspalli in the district city of Bardhaman on February 25 in broad daylight. When the daughter’s mother tried to save her daughter, she was thrashed as well outraging the entire town.  One of the molesters was arrested thanks to one eyewitness and two others were detained when they tried to threaten the same witness of dire consequences.

It has been learnt from locals, Rukmini (name changed), the examinee, was going to Vidyarthi Girls’ School or the examination center with her mother. While they were midway, a few youths including Sheikh Kayem, Sheikh Raja, Saddam Hussain, Sheikh Bittu and Kanai Mirza surfaced there all of a sudden and tried to whisk the girl student away forcefully. Her mother tried to resist them but she was overpowered soon. They also tore her saree out of disgust.  Finding no other option to save her daughter from the attackers, she raised an alarm. A few people rushed to the crossing at Subhaspalli, they were joined by a few policemen, deployed to maintain security in the area and all these made youths flee. Later on, local administration sent both mother and daughter to the center of examination in a police jeep.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Bittu, one of several assailants, was witnessed to ramble in the area and just then, based on the account of a witness, he was taken into custody. Almost an hour later, two unknown youths appeared at Subhaspalli and warned the eyewitness of dire consequences for identifying Sheikh Bittu. Police got hold of them, once informed, and one of them was identified as Sheikh Raja, examinee of Higher Secondary Examination in this year.  Another person named Sheikh Rafique was also arrested later. However, locals know him as Sheikh Kayem. While talking to Mohammed Hossain Mirza, Superintendent of Police in Bardhaman, it was learnt that the victim girl student was going strong. Kanai Mirza is known as a vigorous Trinamool Congress activist in the locality but now, he is on the run.  

Rukimin’s mother has stated that all these youths had been harassing her daughter for months but it stopped due to intervention of local people.

Without doubt, the ghastly event has revealed the bankruptcy of present governance in Bengal once more.