December 16, 2024 09:57 (IST)
Park Street rape case: CM Mamata Banerjee welcomes verdict
Kolkata, Dec 10 (IBNS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who earlier called Kolkata's Suzette Jordan's rape case a fabricated incident, on Thursday, welcomed the verdict given by a sessions court in the city.
Nearly four years after middle aged Anglo-Indian woman Suzette Jordan was gangraped in Kolkata's Park Street area, the Bankshall Court on Thursday convicted three accused- Nasir Khan, Ruman Khan and Sumit Bajaj.
The 40-year-old rape-survivor died at a hospital in Kolkata on Mar 13 this year from meningitis.
When Mamata Banerjee was asked about the verdict, she said, "I'm welcoming the court's judgement."
Suzette Jordan, the mother of two, was allegedly gangraped at gunpoint inside the moving car after she was given a lift in the vehicle from Park Street area in Kolkata on the Feb 5-6 night in 2012.
The Mamata Banerjee government first called it a fabricated incident though a woman IPS officer-Damayanti Sen- later cracked the case and said a rape indeed took place.
Thereafter several were arrested even as two main accused managed to escape and Damayanti Sen was later removed from her position as the Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police (Crime), triggering more controversy over the incident.
Slamming Banerjee over her 'fabricated incident' statement, CPI-M's state secretary and the opposition leader of WB Legislative Assembly Suryakanta Mishra said on Thursday, "The CM's theory of 'concocted incident' in the Park Street case has been dumped by the court. Will the court now be accused of being purchased! Will the CM be apologising to the lady police officer who acted boldly in the Park Street rape case and was transferred henceforth!"
The rape-survivor, who revealed her identity to the world in 2013, died of meningitis at the age of 40 at a hospital in Kolkata on Mar 13 this year.
However, three arrested were found guilty under several IPC sections including 376-2 (g), 120-B and 506 on Thursday.
While two prime accused in this case, Kadir Khan and Md. Ali, are still absconding, judge Chiranjib Bhattacharya said the quantum of punishment will be announced on Friday.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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