Durgapur gangrape: BJP MP from Odisha accuses Bengal Police of making contradictory statements

Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS) BJP Lok Sabha member from Balasore Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, on Wednesday, accused the West Bengal Police of making contradictory statements on the gangrape of a second-year student of a private medical college and hospital at Durgapur in West Burdwan district last week.

Sarangi, who is currently on a tour to West Bengal as a three-member BJP delegation to review the situation amid the event of gangrape, on Wednesday, went to Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to meet Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to discuss the matter.

Later, while speaking to the media persons, he accused the West Bengal Police of making contradictory statements in the case.

“First, the police said it was a case of gangrape. Now they are claiming that it might be a case of rape. I met the victim girl. She is in a state of depression. Probably, she is under some kind of pressure. It needs to be seen whether the six persons arrested in the case as accused are culprits in reality or they have been just made the scapegoats,” Sarangi said.

He also told media persons that initially, the BJP delegation from Odisha was stopped from meeting the victim under the pretext of protocol. “The victim and his family members are voters from the Lok Sabha constituency where I am an MP. So have a moral to meet them. I did not expect such behaviour from the police administration as an elected public representative,” Sarangi added.

Incidentally, earlier in the day, the victim’s father had demanded a CBI probe in the matter.

"I have repeatedly demanded punishment for the culprits. Exemplary punishment should be given. The police investigation into the incident has made progress. But I also have doubts. If there is a CBI investigation, there will be a better probe into the incident. It would help give exemplary punishment to the accused. I feel that if there is a CBI investigation, the culprits will be punished quickly," the victim’s father told a section of the media persons.

--IANS

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